2 Degrowth: Monetary and Nonmonetary Economies
-
Anitra Nelson
Abstract
Capitalism cannot be defined without recourse to money. Capital is money making more money. Similarly, ‘growth’ is a monetary concept. In contrast, the qualitative emphasis of ‘degrowth’ implies nonmonetary economies based on ‘real values,’ i.e., social and ecological values. Given that many degrowth policy proposals leave intact, or even rely on, a market economy and that alternative-money frameworks are popular, this chapter argues that a money-free in-kind economy has greater potential than any kind of monetary economy for degrowth visions and transitionary strategies. From a transformational perspective, the Unconditional Autonomy Allowance model appearing in the 2009 Degrowth: Platform for Convergence and later developed and summarily updated in Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide (Liegey & Nelson, 2020) allows for self-organisation on a hybrid monetary and nonmonetary model. Following Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy, (Nelson, 2022) this chapter shows why degrowth demands a glocal nonmonetary economy based on a community mode of production characterised by commoning, why the transition requires an emphasis on degrowth experimentation of a nonmonetary kind and the essentials of how a nonmonetary glocal society might operate.
Abstract
Capitalism cannot be defined without recourse to money. Capital is money making more money. Similarly, ‘growth’ is a monetary concept. In contrast, the qualitative emphasis of ‘degrowth’ implies nonmonetary economies based on ‘real values,’ i.e., social and ecological values. Given that many degrowth policy proposals leave intact, or even rely on, a market economy and that alternative-money frameworks are popular, this chapter argues that a money-free in-kind economy has greater potential than any kind of monetary economy for degrowth visions and transitionary strategies. From a transformational perspective, the Unconditional Autonomy Allowance model appearing in the 2009 Degrowth: Platform for Convergence and later developed and summarily updated in Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide (Liegey & Nelson, 2020) allows for self-organisation on a hybrid monetary and nonmonetary model. Following Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy, (Nelson, 2022) this chapter shows why degrowth demands a glocal nonmonetary economy based on a community mode of production characterised by commoning, why the transition requires an emphasis on degrowth experimentation of a nonmonetary kind and the essentials of how a nonmonetary glocal society might operate.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements VII
- Contents IX
- List of Contributors XIII
- Foreword 1
- Introduction – Degrowth: Swimming Against the Ideological Tide 7
-
Part I: Degrowth Agendas
- Introduction 23
- 1 ‘Without Growth, Everything is Nothing’: On the Origins of Growthism 25
- 2 Degrowth: Monetary and Nonmonetary Economies 41
- 3 Critiques of Work: The Radical Roots of Degrowth 55
- 4 Cultural Political Economy and Degrowth Politics 75
- 5 Sustainable Welfare: Decoupling Welfare from Growth and Prioritising Needs Satisfaction for All 89
-
Part II: Degrowth in Practice
- Introduction 107
- 6 How and Who? The Debate About a Strategy for Degrowth 109
- 7 Translating Degrowth: From Policy Proposals to Praxis 129
- 8 Living in Abundance: Tool Libraries for Convivial Degrowth 149
- 9 Materialising Degrowth Agrifood Architecture with Earth 167
- 10 They Want Us to Live in Caves: Degrowth and the Housing Question 191
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Part III: The Urban and the Rural
- Introduction 211
- 11 The Case for Solidary Degrowth Spaces. Five Propositions on the Challenging Project of Spatialising Degrowth 213
- 12 Urban Degrowth 233
- 13 Land Commodification: A Structural Barrier to Degrowth Transition 251
- 14 Agroecology as Degrowth in Practice: Resistance Rooted in Human- Nature Relationality 273
- 15 Organising Nature Through Urban Gardening 291
-
Part IV: Critical Connections
- Introduction 309
- 16 Interlocking Crises, Intersectional Visions: Ecofeminist Political Economy in Conversation with Degrowth 311
- 17 Dependency, Delinking and Degrowth in a New Developmental Era: Debates from Argentina 327
- 18 Degrowth and Psychoanalysis: From Transition to Transformation 339
- 19 Degrowth Disagreements with Marxism: Critical Perspectives on the Fetishisation of Value and Productivity 361
- 20 Not Just Newer, but Fewer: A Bridge Between Ecomodernism and Degrowth? 377
-
Part V: Degrowth and the Global South
- Introduction 395
- 21 From Marxist Development Theories to Their Translation in the Degrowth Discourse: Transforming Unequal International Structures for Environmental Sustainability 397
- 22 Radical Ecological Democracy: Reflections from the South on Degrowth 417
- 23 Degrowth Beyond the Metropole: Theory and Praxis for a Revolutionary Degrowth 427
- 24 Growing Degrowth: Alliances with Environmental Movements in the Global South 447
- 25 ‘For the Greater Good’– Green Sacrifice Zones and Subaltern Resistance: The Politics and Potential of Degrowth and Post-Extractivist Futures 461
- List of Figures 479
- About the Editors 481
- Index 483
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgements VII
- Contents IX
- List of Contributors XIII
- Foreword 1
- Introduction – Degrowth: Swimming Against the Ideological Tide 7
-
Part I: Degrowth Agendas
- Introduction 23
- 1 ‘Without Growth, Everything is Nothing’: On the Origins of Growthism 25
- 2 Degrowth: Monetary and Nonmonetary Economies 41
- 3 Critiques of Work: The Radical Roots of Degrowth 55
- 4 Cultural Political Economy and Degrowth Politics 75
- 5 Sustainable Welfare: Decoupling Welfare from Growth and Prioritising Needs Satisfaction for All 89
-
Part II: Degrowth in Practice
- Introduction 107
- 6 How and Who? The Debate About a Strategy for Degrowth 109
- 7 Translating Degrowth: From Policy Proposals to Praxis 129
- 8 Living in Abundance: Tool Libraries for Convivial Degrowth 149
- 9 Materialising Degrowth Agrifood Architecture with Earth 167
- 10 They Want Us to Live in Caves: Degrowth and the Housing Question 191
-
Part III: The Urban and the Rural
- Introduction 211
- 11 The Case for Solidary Degrowth Spaces. Five Propositions on the Challenging Project of Spatialising Degrowth 213
- 12 Urban Degrowth 233
- 13 Land Commodification: A Structural Barrier to Degrowth Transition 251
- 14 Agroecology as Degrowth in Practice: Resistance Rooted in Human- Nature Relationality 273
- 15 Organising Nature Through Urban Gardening 291
-
Part IV: Critical Connections
- Introduction 309
- 16 Interlocking Crises, Intersectional Visions: Ecofeminist Political Economy in Conversation with Degrowth 311
- 17 Dependency, Delinking and Degrowth in a New Developmental Era: Debates from Argentina 327
- 18 Degrowth and Psychoanalysis: From Transition to Transformation 339
- 19 Degrowth Disagreements with Marxism: Critical Perspectives on the Fetishisation of Value and Productivity 361
- 20 Not Just Newer, but Fewer: A Bridge Between Ecomodernism and Degrowth? 377
-
Part V: Degrowth and the Global South
- Introduction 395
- 21 From Marxist Development Theories to Their Translation in the Degrowth Discourse: Transforming Unequal International Structures for Environmental Sustainability 397
- 22 Radical Ecological Democracy: Reflections from the South on Degrowth 417
- 23 Degrowth Beyond the Metropole: Theory and Praxis for a Revolutionary Degrowth 427
- 24 Growing Degrowth: Alliances with Environmental Movements in the Global South 447
- 25 ‘For the Greater Good’– Green Sacrifice Zones and Subaltern Resistance: The Politics and Potential of Degrowth and Post-Extractivist Futures 461
- List of Figures 479
- About the Editors 481
- Index 483