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Discursive Synergies for a ‘Great Transformation’ Towards Sustainability: Pragmatic Contributions to a Necessary Dialogue Between Human Development, Degrowth, and Buen Vivir

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  • Beling, Adrián E.
  • Vanhulst, Julien
  • Demaria, Federico
  • Rabi, Violeta
  • Carballo, Ana E.
  • Pelenc, Jérôme

Abstract

There is a growing awareness that a whole-societal “Great Transformation” of Polanyian scale is needed to bring global developmental trajectories in line with ecological imperatives. The mainstream Sustainable Development discourse, however, insists in upholding the myth of compatibility of current growth-based trajectories with biophysical planetary boundaries. This article explores potentially fertile complementarities among trendy discourses challenging conventional notions of (un)sustainable development – Human Development, Degrowth, and Buen Vivir – and outlines pathways for their realization. Human Development presents relative transformative strengths in political terms, while Degrowth holds keys to unlocking unsustainable material-structural entrenchments of contemporary socio-economic arrangements, and Buen Vivir offers a space of cultural alterity and critique of the Euro-Atlantic cultural constellation. The weaknesses or blind spots (‘Achilles heels’) of each discourse can be compensated through the strengths of the other ones, creating a dialogical virtuous circle that would open pathways towards a global new “Great Transformation”. As one of the main existing platforms for pluralist and strong-sustainability discussions, Ecological Economics is in a privileged position to deliberately foster such strategic discursive dialogue. A pathway towards such dialogue is illuminated through a model identifying and articulating key discursive docking points.

Suggested Citation

  • Beling, Adrián E. & Vanhulst, Julien & Demaria, Federico & Rabi, Violeta & Carballo, Ana E. & Pelenc, Jérôme, 2018. "Discursive Synergies for a ‘Great Transformation’ Towards Sustainability: Pragmatic Contributions to a Necessary Dialogue Between Human Development, Degrowth, and Buen Vivir," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 304-313.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:144:y:2018:i:c:p:304-313
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.08.025
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    2. Ruirui Zhang & Joseph D’Andrea & Chunmin Lang, 2023. "Gifts and Commodities: A Dialectical Thought Experiment for Sublation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, May.
    3. Mero-Figueroa, Marina & Galdeano-Gómez, Emilio & Piedra-Muñoz, Laura & Obaco, Moisés, 2020. "Measuring well-being: A Buen Vivir (living well) indicator for Ecuador," MPRA Paper 119912, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Valeria Andreoni, 2020. "The Trap of Success: A Paradox of Scale for Sharing Economy and Degrowth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, April.
    5. Andrea Cuesta‐Claros & Shirin Malekpour & Rob Raven & Tahl Kestin, 2022. "Understanding the roles of universities for sustainable development transformations: A framing analysis of university models," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 525-538, August.
    6. Winkel, Thierry & Núñez-Carrasco, Lizbeth & Cruz, Pablo José & Egan, Nancy & Sáez-Tonacca, Luís & Cubillos-Celis, Priscilla & Poblete-Olivera, Camila & Zavalla-Nanco, Natalia & Miño-Baes, Bárbara & Vi, 2019. "Mobilizing common biocultural heritage for the socioeconomic inclusion of small farmers: panarchy of two case studies on quinoa in Chile and Bolivia," SocArXiv qwtu5, Center for Open Science.
    7. NOVÁK Norbert, 2020. "Differences In The Standards Living In Rural And Urban Areas," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1(1), pages 79-88, July.
    8. Seckler, Matthias & Volkert, Jürgen, 2021. "The capability approach: A promising foundation for sustainable development?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    9. Marina Mero-Figueroa & Emilio Galdeano-Gómez & Laura Piedra-Muñoz & Moisés Obaco, 2020. "Measuring Well-Being: A Buen Vivir (Living Well) Indicator for Ecuador," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 152(1), pages 265-287, November.
    10. Thierry Winkel & Lizbeth Núñez-Carrasco & Pablo José Cruz & Nancy Egan & Luís Sáez-Tonacca & Priscilla Cubillos-Celis & Camila Poblete-Olivera & Natalia Zavalla-Nanco & Bárbara Miño-Baes & Maria-Paz V, 2020. "Mobilising common biocultural heritage for the socioeconomic inclusion of small farmers: panarchy of two case studies on quinoa in Chile and Bolivia," Post-Print ird-02381132, HAL.
    11. Fuente-Carrasco, Mario Enrique & Barkin, David & Clark-Tapia, Ricardo, 2019. "Governance from below and environmental justice: Community water management from the perspective of social metabolism," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 52-61.
    12. Thierry Winkel & Lizbeth Núñez-Carrasco & Pablo José Cruz & Nancy Egan & Luís Sáez-Tonacca & Priscilla Cubillos-Celis & Camila Poblete-Olivera & Natalia Zavalla-Nanco & Bárbara Miño-Baes & Maria-Paz V, 2020. "Mobilising common biocultural heritage for the socioeconomic inclusion of small farmers: panarchy of two case studies on quinoa in Chile and Bolivia," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(2), pages 433-447, June.
    13. repec:aly:journl:201825 is not listed on IDEAS

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