Any alternatives left? From green narratives of change to socio-ecological transformative utopias. A cultural political economy framework

Beschreibung

Any alternatives left? From green narratives of change to socio-ecological transformative utopias. A cultural political economy framework This contribution explores current narratives of 'Green Capitalism'. Theoretically grounded in a cultural political economy approach it discusses the question of hegemony. Thereby we understand the so-called greening of the economy as a hegemonic battle, where institutions occupy certain positions based on political economic interests and strategies. The hegemonic discourse treats nature as a financial asset and investment, always subject to capital accumulation. Differing visions oscillate between neo-conservative state capitalism, a distributional perspective following the Keynesian agenda and the Green New Deal. We suggest deconstructing this discourse based on a Marxist reading of capital and nature as social relations. We highlight the co-opting effect of the dominant strategy in these discursive manifestations. Employing the Gramscian notion of hegemony as a social structure that advances the interests of a specific social group but also offers the possibility of disequilibrium and change, we focus on the interplay of material capabilities, ideas and institutions. A coherence of these aspects plays a role in, on the one hand, the maintenance of power and, on the other, the shifting balance of power between state and non-state actors. The notion of transnational alliances, especially a transnational managerial elite, is central, recognizing the increasing importance of a multi-scalar understanding of economic policy and institutions.

Zeitraum	4 Dez. 2014 → 6 Dez. 2014
Ereignistitel	1st Austrian Conference on International Resource Politics
Veranstaltungstyp	Keine Angaben
Bekanntheitsgrad	National