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Degrowth: Foundations
Provider: Faculty of Science

Activity no.: 5249-21-03-31
Enrollment deadline: 10/03/2021
PlaceOnline
Date and time03.05.2021, at: 00:00 - 07.05.2021, at: 16:00
Regular seats25
ECTS credits3.00
Contact personCharlotte Bukdahl Jacobsen    E-mail address: cja@ifro.ku.dk
Enrolment Handling/Course OrganiserRebecca Leigh Rutt    E-mail address: rlr@ifro.ku.dk
Aim and content
In the context of increasingly acute global socio-environmental problems, there is growing debate about the dominant economic growth-based societal model. Globally, there is a close correlation between GDP growth and the social metabolism of the global economy, as visible in e.g. extraction of materials and GHG emissions. At the same time, GDP growth in wealthy nations delivers less and less by way of increasing happiness and other indicators of wellbeing. This course aims to impart in participants critical questions, concepts, and theories to understand and unpack the merits and problems of growth in our current context and explore alternatives from multiple perspectives.
This course will engage in the ‘degrowth’ / ‘postgrowth’ discourse through the perspectives of the complementary and established traditions of i) feminist scholarship, ii) political ecology, and iii) ecological economics. ‘Degrowth’ (sometimes called ‘postgrowth’ to more explicitly suggest new trajectories) stems from acknowledgement of the failure of economic growth-based models of ‘development’ inherent to capitalism. Degrowth rejects the ‘decoupling’ myth that economic growth can continue alongside environmental sustainability through e.g. future green technologies. Degrowth aims to reinvigorate societal organization, placing wellbeing for all species and natural systems at the center and rethinking our systems of economics, work culture and labor, decision-making, and much more. Each of the scholarly traditions of feminism, political ecology, and ecological economics provide foundational theoretical insights to the steadily expanding degrowth discourse. When paired with that discourse, they also offer substantial guidance to reinvigorate our practices – academic, institutional, and personal.
In brief, this course will survey theoretical contributions to degrowth from various schools of thought- a focus on foundations. This course is conceived as the first of two complementary parts. The second course will build on the foundations established in this course to emphasize praxis, and will be convened in Copenhagen once pandemic conditions allow face to face meetings - hopefully the autumn of 2021. Details will follow. Participants in this first part on foundations will receive preferred entry into the second part. Reach out for more information. We hope to see you there!
This course will take place fully online. Details provided to participants by email.

Details:
This course will survey theoretical contributions to degrowth from various schools of thought. The course aims to enable and advance critical engagement with degrowth scholarship, particularly:
1. Knowledge of key arguments and areas of consensus within degrowth studies from the perspective of academic traditions of Feminist scholarship, Political Ecology, and Ecological Economics.
2. Analytical and evaluative skill development in relation to research within the field of degrowth studies, drawing on academic traditions of Feminist scholarship, Political Ecology, and Ecological Economics.

ECTS: 3

Schedule provided to registered participants.

Course assessment is constituted by two requirements:

1. In advance of the course, all participants must read/watch all learning resources listed in the sessions below, including noting down their own questions and critical reflections to support synchronous discussions.
2. Active participation in all sessions.

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