Deep Transformations - (Progress in Political Economy) by Hubert Buch-Hansen & Max Koch & Iana Nesterova

About the Book

This book provides a comprehensive theory of degrowth. It conceptualises degrowth as a multi-faceted phenomenon on different scales (trans-national, national and local) and sites (civil society, the state and business) and discusses a range of ecosocial policies and initiatives capable of bringing about deep transformations.

Book Synopsis

As a research field, social movement and political project, degrowth is a multi-faceted phenomenon. It brings together a range of practices including alternative forms of living and initiatives of various kinds in civil society, business and the state. Yet no comprehensive theory of degrowth transformations has so far been developed. Deep transformations fills this gap. It develops a theory of degrowth transformations drawing on insights from multiple fields of knowledge, such as political economy, sociology and philosophy. The book offers a holistic perspective that brings into focus transformation processes on various scales and points to various mechanisms that can facilitate degrowth. These for instance include ecosocial policies, transformative initiatives in business and civil society, and alternative modes of being in and relating to the world.

Thanks to the support of Lund University, an electronic edition of this book is freely available under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.

From the Back Cover

This timely and accessible book unfolds a holistic theory of degrowth transformations. Such transformations involve changes in various dimensions of social being: changes in how humans interact with nature, non-humans, and one another, changes in social structures and changes in how we are as human beings. The book suggests that for degrowth transformations to occur, actions in civil society, business and the state are necessary on the local, national and transnational scales. Moreover, it identifies a range of mechanisms that can bring about degrowth societies. These for instance include ecosocial policies, transformative initiatives in business and civil society and alternative modes of being in and relating to the world. The book's perspective is informed by multiple fields of knowledge, including political economy, sociology, geography and philosophy.

About the Author

Hubert Buch-Hansen is Associate Professor at Roskilde University.
Max Koch is Professor at Lund University.
Iana Nesterova is a Postdoc at Aalto University School of Business.