Moving between the Anthropology of (de)growth and Degrowth Anthropology.

Degrowth is the political, economic, and social movement that proposes a radical downscaling of the production and consumption that increases human well-being and enhances ecological conditions. In the face of the pressing socio-ecological crisis that currently confronts us, the role of anthropology in engaging with degrowth becomes paramount. However, it raises questions about the potential implications of anthropology aligning itself with a political agenda, as this may compromise its analytical nature. By doing so, anthropology risks losing the necessary critical distance and falling into the same pitfalls it encountered in the past when entangled with political interests. Conversely, if anthropology fails to address the urgent socio-ecological issues at hand, it risks disconnecting itself from the collective imperative to safeguard a sustainable environment for future generations.

In this session, we expose the lessons that can be gleaned for degrowth from the relationship between anthropology and development. Following this task, we propose that anthropology can adopt four different approaches to engage with the concept of degrowth: Anthropology of (De)growth, Degrowth anthropology, Anthropology-informed Degrowth and Degrowth of Anthropology.