Intentional degrowth and its unintended consequences: Uneven journeys towards post-growth transformations

Proponents of post-growth economic alternatives have repeatedly distinguished between economic recession - a chaotic and harmful economic contraction - and degrowth. In the literature, the latter is often put forward as a planned and intentional process which increases wellbeing while simultaneously reducing ecological harms. This article pays closer attention to what 'planning' and 'intentionality' mean in this context, exploring some of the limits of this framing for socio-ecological transformation. First, it notes that many key questions related to power and politics in post-growth transformations are left under-examined by such a framing, and, secondly, it highlights that emergence and uncertainty are inevitable aspects of social change. Building on practice theory, we argue for acknowledging the limits of intentionality in favour of concepts such as 'degrowth practice', 'dual power' and 'degrowth strategy'. The article concludes by highlighting room for further degrowth engagement with emerging theories of transformation and participatory research approaches.

Automated summary

This article discusses the planned and intentional process of degrowth economics, highlighting the oversight of power and politics issues and the inevitability of emergence and uncertainty in social change within this framework. It suggests acknowledging the limitations of intentionality and supporting concepts such as "degrowth practice," "dual power," and "degrowth strategy" instead.