I have recently watch this talk about my dear comrade Emma River-Roberts, and it raise many questions that I wish are answer by people that know more than me on class struggle.
I would like to address several points after hearing the common and largely valid claim that degrowth is not appealing to the working class.
Let's examine this issue together : )
What is the Working Class?
In numerous articles, and also from my perspective, the working class comprises individuals who rely on their labor for their livelihood. This is why I find the concept of the "99%" compelling; it encapsulates the reality for most of us with limited capital and time, where working is the primary means of transforming the world and making a living.
If this definition seems too narrow or incorrect, what then is an accurate definition of the working class? Additionally, what are the cultural and material distinctions between the working and middle classes?
We need clearer definitions of what we mean by "middle class" and "working class." I struggle to find definitions that help me understand my own positionality and identify others within our social system. This clarity is crucial if we aim to unify forces with the working class, especially if degrowth is not currently represented or appealing to crucial sectors like energy workers and farmers—key players in stabilizing our social system.
Academics and Workers: Roles in the Transition to Ecosocialism
I'd like to start by stating that the academic world could benefit greatly from engaging more with coal miners, natural gas workers, truck drivers, and farmers. Simultaneously, the working class should remain curious yet critical of the significant research conducted in the last decades on degrowth.
To me, an academic often resembles a precarious worker, navigating a world requiring constant movement and juggling administrative tasks to survive. This isn't a privilege, especially for those unlikely to secure an indefinite contract. That said, I wonder to what extent we can ensure that both groups have the time to collaborate more closely.
How can we prioritize practical work alongside deep academic thought, while creating spaces for industrial workers to develop independent visions aligned with fundamental science? If a worker shows little interest in global justice issues, who should challenge this stance? If a researcher overlooks the struggles of millions in the so-called global north, focusing on averages rather than distribution, who should call them out?
We need spaces that celebrate and respect the essential contributions of those producing our food and energy, as well as those researching to transform our economic system. A competition over who is more precarious benefits no one.
What if Workers' Demands Contradict a Just Transition?
I dedicate at least 50% of my activism to engaging with individuals unfamiliar with degrowth, or too overwhelmed to consider it, to understand their perspectives on the future. With few exceptions, people in sectors like farming, tourism, and construction defend the status quo at all costs.
In Catalonia, farmers demand more water without questioning the sustainability of chemically-fueled irrigation or the water-intensive animal industry. Nuclear sector workers insist on keeping plants operational, despite the catastrophic risks. Tourism workers prioritize filling swimming pools over ensuring farmers can sustain them or their clients, often supporting more construction projects regardless of the impact on biodiversity, local communities, or our system's resilience to shocks.
While I acknowledge regenerative farmers, cooperative energy workers, and sustainable tourism professionals, they remain a minority. Most people advocating for alternative models do so alongside their jobs and are often dismissed by those they criticize as being middle class and disconnected from realities of farming, energy, and tourism. Is this fair?
I raise these points because it's not just degrowth that struggles to build a larger movement; the working class also often refuses to look beyond short-term gains to establish foundational work for sustainable livelihoods. A fair critique should address the weaknesses by all involved.
While M. Huber correctly points out the need for growth in renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, and public transport, it's also crucial to recognize that some working-class aspirations directly conflict with a system conducive to a livable climate. Desires for second homes, urban cars, and extensive vacations cannot be universally sustainable. Even individuals struggling financially often fail to recognize their unnecessary consumption, such as owning a car in a city with public transport, purchasing expensive processed foods, or owning costly electronics (iphones, tvs...).
Labeling Degrowth as an austerity program is misleading and not honest with what has been writen by the scholarship. There's significant work to be done in formulating concrete proposals for addressing colonization, regaining control of strategic production systems (food, energy, transport, telecoms, housing), finance, care, technology and much more. We must question why, despite being exploited by capitalism, the working class often finds the narratives of extreme right-wing populism and a simplistic notion of freedom more attractive.
Let's be honest, degrowth, ecosocialism and in general the left is lossing worlwide, and live of the planet is less and less likely. We need to stay critical, but by doing so, we need to do it a concrete, balanced and constructive way if we are going to have a chance to build alliances fast enough. Let's make progress in improving wellbeing of all living being while our metabolism goes down, in this goal we are all together, or should be : )
With this post, I aim to spark more controversy than consensus, but I write out of a deep desire for ecosocialists, degrowthers, unions, and workers worldwide to engage in open, critically-minded discussions. The goal is to forge alliances and willingness to change the current course on certain issues.
With sincere love and appreciation for the work many of you are doing.
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