Tracing the ‘Degrowth Movement’: Insights from Academic Literature

Tracing the ‘Degrowth Movement’: Insights from Academic Literature | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Systematic Review Tracing the ‘Degrowth Movement’: Insights from Academic Literature Muzamil Farooq This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3901592/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Purpose: Over the years, various alternative models of innovation have surfaced globally, aiming to tackle diverse societal issues. One significant area of academic debate in this context has been 'degrowth.' This concept focuses on a fundamental reshaping of political and economic systems, advocating for a reduction in energy and resource consumption. The use of the term 'degrowth' has become more common among researchers and activists, who use it to challenge the principles and costs linked with development driven by growth. The origins of this discussion can be traced back to the early 1990s, and it has since become a focal point in debates surrounding innovation and economic policy. Over time, scholars have scrutinized the concept, connecting it to the status quo or dogma, thereby calling for the conduct of more studies in this regard. This article contributes to the examination of the degrowth discourse over the past decade within scholarly works. Methods: Utilizing R programming, it conducts an in-depth analysis of 933 scholarly articles, revealing the core aspects of this dialogue and offering a data-driven review of the literature. Results: The study identifies various trends within this discourse and, through sentiment analysis of the term, illustrates the increasing agreement and policy focus on degrowth over the past decade. Conclusion: The data analysed review of literature is illustrated through various types of plots, each uncovering the different dynamics of degrowth. The article finally offers various insights about degrowth that can influence the positive development of economic and environmental policies. Other Economics degrowth sustainability economics energy innovation Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Introduction and Background Numerous authors around the globe started the discourse over resource scarcity considering human activity and the limits to economic growth (Barnett and Morse, 1963; Jevons, 1865; Malthus, 1798). This debate became the centre of attention with Thomas Malthus’s The Limits to Growth in 1972 (Meadows et al., 1972). Limits theory although being criticised on various fronts, many authors have recently suggested that some physical limits are inevitable in the path towards economic growth, which are the building blocks of innovation models like Frugal in the global south (Radjou et al., 2012) and Low Tech in the global north (Bihouix, 2020). In parallel to the debate of rationalising the concept of limits with ecological concerns, scholars have highlighted the social limits to economic growth as well. Before World War II, global economic growth was considered more inclusive, but since then, economic growth has led to increased inequality, with an estimated half of the world's wealth now owned by a mere 1% of the population. (Oxfam, 2014; Piketty, 2014). Amidst the failed strategies and policies (Wiedmann et al., 2015) to combine economic, social, and environmental well-being, degrowth as an alternative has been highly looked upon since last few decades as the proponents believe that it can bring sustainability at all fronts of economic growth (Hueting, 2010; Martínez-Alier et al., 2010; Schneider et al., 2010). The concept of degrowth prioritises human well-being while reducing the importance of economic growth (Bilancini and D’Alessandro, 2012). It resonates with the ideas of anti-utilitarian economic systems proposed by Gandhi and Schumacher (Demaria et al., 2013; Muraca, 2013). This idea appears to connect the degrowth movement with patterns arising from the Global South, which is otherwise reflected in the academic literature and will be highlighted in the discussion of this article as well. Numerous non-academic entities often misconceive degrowth as merely the opposite of growth or equate it with economic downturns, which is not its intended purpose (Schneider et al., 2010). While implementing degrowth strategies, it's possible to experience a temporary recession as part of the transition to a more sustainable economic model, but such a recession is not expected to be permanent. Degrowth challenges the reliance on GDP as a measure of economic progress, drawing attention to its various shortcomings (Van den Bergh, 2009). Academics have increasingly focused on diverse approaches to degrowth, tailored differently for developed and developing countries. This leads to variations in the definition of 'degrowth,' depending on the specific context in which it is applied, although many authors have attempted to summarise the various entities that it entails (D’Alisa et al., 2015; Demaria et al., 2013; Martínez-Alier et al., 2010). A more general and widely accepted definition in academia of the term is given by (Kallis, 2011), as he defines it as ‘a process of political and social transformation that reduces a society’s throughput while improving the quality of life.’ Providing the importance of degrowth for policy discussions, tracing the literature and providing insights can lead to better outcomes in the implementation of the degrowth framework (Cosme et al., 2017). In line with the above-mentioned background of the degrowth, this study aims to trace the recent position of the discourse in academic discussions. The article will build on the previous studies conducted on the topic while aligning and comparing it with the latest academic publications on the topic published in the last decade. To do so, this article employed the R data analysis on 933 publications fetched from the science direct data source with the keyword ‘degrowth.’ In this regard, the study has three main underlying research questions: What is the current global trend of publications on degrowth? What different insights do these trends represent? What are the future research trends on the degrowth movement? To answer these, data analysed literature review using R-programming was employed. Various plots representing the different trends in literature were fetched using R-codes. The uncovered insights were related to the growing academic literature in the degrowth movement, main contributing countries and authors, author collaborations, top authors, and journals and finally the sentiment analysis of the term degrowth in the literature. This research situates itself within the expanding body of critical literature concerning economic policy and sustainability. It aligns with the existing body of work on the degrowth movement, aiming to enhance the development of economic and environmental policies through a thorough comprehension of the degrowth phenomenon in the present context. Apart from uncovering the various future research opportunities, the study generates various policy recommendations for policymakers, governments, and academic scholars. Nevertheless, this study acknowledges several limitations, which are elaborated upon in the discussion section of the article. Methodology and Results 3.1 Data Collection and Filtering The initial attempt to collect data through OpenAlex was unsuccessful due to the unavailability of the required data in that database. As a result, the search shifted to the advanced search feature of Science Direct, using 'degrowth' as the primary keyword. This approach produced around 47,000 peer-reviewed articles on the subject. Applying a date filter narrowed this down to about 1,400 articles from various peer-reviewed journals. To further refine this dataset, an additional filtering criterion involving the exclusion of short reports and book chapters was employed. This step effectively reduced the dataset to 933 relevant publications. These publications were downloaded as BibTeX files, with each file encapsulating data from 25 publications. The next phase involved converting these multiple BibTeX files into a single, comprehensive CSV file. However, the dataset at this stage contained numerous cliches and required manual cleaning. After the cleaning process, the final dataset consisted of 933 rows and 7 columns. These columns provided detailed information on various aspects of each publication, such as the type of article, the authors, the publication date, the Digital Object Identifier (DOI), the journal in which it was published, the abstract, and the keywords associated with each article. 3.2 Data Analysis The data analysis process began with the installation of essential packages in R, focusing on those pertinent to data sorting and plotting. The initial step of the analysis involved tracking the annual number of publications as a time series. This was accomplished using the 'ggplot2' library, where specific aesthetics, themes, and characteristics were assigned to the plot. To enhance the visualization of trends, a line plot was also generated based on the yearly publication data. Following the analysis of publication trends, a bar plot was created to showcase the top five journals contributing to the field. This plot was derived from the journal column in the dataset, highlighting key journals that researchers in this study domain could refer to for relevant literature. Subsequently, another insightful bar plot was constructed to highlight the top contributing authors in the literature. This visualization offered intriguing insights that were later discussed in the article. The analysis then moved to a more collaborative aspect, producing a network visualization of authors who frequently collaborated within the degrowth discourse. This provided a view into the concentration and collaboration patterns in the literature. Additionally, the top 20 most common unigrams and bigrams in the literature were plotted. This step was crucial in interpreting the meaningful direction and focus of the discourse. This visual element offered a succinct and impactful representation of the prevalent themes and topics within the body of literature under review. Finally, a sentiment analysis of the word ‘degrowth’ was done to highlight the perception of researchers regarding this movement which also generated some firm and useful insights into the discourse. 3.3 Results 3.3.1 Yearly Trend of Publications Figure 1 displays a bar plot depicting the annual publication trends related to the degrowth movement. The plot distinctly illustrates an upward trajectory in the number of publications in this area, underscoring the growing relevance of this topic in the sphere of economic policymaking. The data reveals a steady increase in degrowth-related research up to the year 2020, followed by a more pronounced rise post-2020, with each subsequent year contributing approximately 40 new publications. Notably, the year 2023 stands out as a pivotal year, adding nearly 50 publications to the discourse. This plot is indicative of an escalating interest in research focused on alternative models of economic growth. The ascending trend suggests a broadening scope for research, opening up numerous possibilities to explore various aspects and nuances of the degrowth concept. Figure 2 further enhances the clarity of this trend, providing a more detailed visualization of the research trajectory in this field. 3.3.2 Top Five Journals Figure 3 showcases a bar plot of the top five journals that have published the most significant number of works on the degrowth movement in the last decade. The purpose of this visualization is to inform future researchers in the field of degrowth about where they can find pertinent literature. According to the plot, Ecological Economics and the Journal of Cleaner Production emerge as the primary repositories of knowledge on the degrowth movement within the Science Direct database, each contributing over 130 publications in the past ten years. This information is crucial for researchers seeking to delve into existing studies and contribute to this evolving discourse. 3.3.3 Top Five Authors Figure 4 illustrates a bar plot featuring the top five authors who have significantly contributed to the discourse on the degrowth movement. This visualization effectively highlights the key scholars in this field, with figures like Kallis and O'Neill standing out as prominent contributors over the past decade. Their extensive work has made them well-known in the degrowth discourse. This plot proved to be very insightful, revealing deeper aspects of the topic. An interesting dimension was added by manually examining the nationalities and countries of these top five authors. This analysis facilitated the creation of a region-wise distribution of the literature. The findings indicate that, in contrast to frugal or grassroots alternative models, which are predominantly phenomena of the Global South, the degrowth movement is distinctly a Global North phenomenon. Figure 5 further complements this narrative by presenting a country-wise breakdown of publications on the degrowth movement. This distribution aligns with the earlier observation, clearly demonstrating that the bulk of degrowth research and publication activity is centred in the Global North. This geographical insight is crucial for understanding the origins and primary influences in the discourse of degrowth. 3.3.4 Author Networks Figure 6 depicts a straightforward network diagram of author collaborations within the degrowth discourse. This visualization reveals that the majority of the literature is the result of individual contributions, with only a limited number of collaborations among authors. This pattern underscores the need for increased collaborative research in this field, suggesting that greater cooperation among scholars could enrich and diversify the discourse on degrowth. 3.3.5 Top 20 Keywords Unigrams/Bigrams To fetch the understanding and linkage of this topic towards different limits, tracing the keywords in abstracts is one way to do so and generate useful insights about the direction of research. Figure 7 represents the top 20 keywords as unigrams. While the unigrams indicate that the degrowth literature predominantly focuses on themes like energy, climate, and sustainability, Fig. 8 delves deeper by showcasing the top bigrams found in the abstracts of the dataset. This approach provides a clearer understanding of the subject matter. Previous literature reviews have highlighted that the degrowth movement encompasses multiple objectives. However, according to the analysis of bigrams, the most prominent objective emerging from the discourse centres around climate change, energy, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, it's evident that the movement also addresses social issues such as inequality, though these topics are not as predominant as the environmental aspects. 3.3.6 Sentiment Analysis of Degrowth The literature points out that, like other alternative models, the degrowth movement is subject to various critiques in academic circles. This observation underscores the importance of examining the sentiments associated with the term 'degrowth' in academic discussions. To capture this aspect, Fig. 9 presents an analysis of the sentiment attached to the word 'degrowth' in each article fetched from the abstracts. As anticipated, the sentiment towards degrowth in the academic literature is predominantly positive, indicating a general academic favourability or approval of the concept. Only a few counted numbers of articles posit the word degrowth in negative sentiments. This highlights the importance of the degrowth movement for the positive development of economic and environmental policies. Discussion 4.1 Implications This study aimed to provide a data-driven review of the literature on the degrowth movement over the past decade, revealing key aspects of the discourse. The insights gained from this analysis can fetch significant attention from scholars, policymakers, and governments. Amidst a complex web of social challenges and the shortcomings of current policies, degrowth has emerged as a highly regarded alternative model for economic development. The study's initial focus on publication trends revealed an increasing interest in degrowth, indicating a widening scope for research and the potential to delve into diverse facets of the concept. The identification of two main journals with the most publications on degrowth offers a valuable resource for future researchers seeking relevant literature and the latest perspectives in the field. Addressing the second question, the study unearthed several notable findings. The identification of the top five contributing authors led to insights into the country-wise distribution of publications, with nations like Spain, Denmark, and the United Kingdom being key contributors. This confirms that the degrowth movement is predominantly a Global North phenomenon, differing from other alternative models of innovation such as frugal and grassroots innovations. This understanding can encourage other Global North countries to consider degrowth as a viable innovation model and integrate it into effective policymaking. Additionally, the study underscores the need for more collaborative research to garner richer insights from diverse global contexts, advocating for increased cross-national cooperation in future degrowth research. The keyword analysis revealed a primary focus on environmental limits within the degrowth literature, with less emphasis on social challenges like economic inequality. Terms such as energy, environment, sustainability, and climate change dominated the discourse, pointing to a research gap in addressing the social dimensions of degrowth. Finally, the sentiment analysis of the term 'degrowth' reflected a predominantly positive outlook among scholars, with only a few articles expressing negative sentiments. This finding partially addresses the third research question, suggesting that the academic community views degrowth as a promising alternative model of innovation and a subject of keen interest for future exploration. 4.2 Limitations The study, while comprehensive in its approach to analysing the degrowth movement through scholarly articles, presents several limitations: Selection of Data Sources: The reliance on a specific database (Science Direct) and the selection of articles using specific keywords may have influenced the breadth and variety of the literature reviewed. This could result in a bias toward certain perspectives or a lack of representation of dissenting or alternative viewpoints. Time Frame Limitation: Focusing solely on the past decade might miss critical developments and foundational works in the degrowth discourse that emerged before this period. This temporal boundary could overlook the evolution of thought and debate in the earlier stages of the movement. Scope of Literature: The study confines itself to scholarly articles, potentially omitting insights from other relevant sources such as books, reports, or grey literature that may offer valuable perspectives on the degrowth movement. Methodological Constraints: While using R programming provides a robust framework for data analysis, the methodology may have its limitations in terms of the depth of qualitative analysis. The use of sentiment analysis and content analysis through computational means may not fully capture the nuances and complexities of academic discourse. Exclusion of Non-Peer-Reviewed Sources: By focusing only on peer-reviewed articles, the study may miss out on innovative ideas and discussions taking place in less formal or emerging platforms, which can be especially relevant in a rapidly evolving field like degrowth. Using only Abstracts: Lack of Depth and Context: Abstracts provide a concise overview of an article but may omit crucial details, nuances, and the full context of the research. Important arguments, methodologies, and findings are often summarized, which might not capture the complexity and depth of the authors' work. 4.3 Future Work Every limitation and research gap highlighted in this article underscores opportunities for further exploration and enhancement in understanding the degrowth discourse. To encapsulate these areas: (i) Future research on degrowth should emphasize fostering more collaborations. Collaborative efforts can bring diverse perspectives and expertise, enriching the depth and scope of research in this field. (ii) Employing qualitative research methodologies, such as case studies, is crucial for comprehending the practical applications and implications of the degrowth framework. Such approaches can provide in-depth insights into real-world scenarios and the complexities of implementing degrowth principles. (iii) Policymakers, scholars, and governments are encouraged to explore the potential of degrowth as an economic model within policy frameworks. This involves assessing how degrowth concepts can be integrated into existing economic policies and strategies. (iv) There should be a concerted effort to direct more research towards the practical implementation of the degrowth framework. This includes conducting detailed case studies to illustrate how degrowth principles can be effectively applied and the impacts they have in various contexts. Declarations Conflict of Interest: The corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest. References Barnett, H.J., Morse, C., 1963. Scarcity and Growth: The Economics of Natural Resource Availability. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore. Meadows, D.H., Meadows, D.L., Randers, J., Behrens III, W., 1972. The Limits to Growth. New American Library, New York. Malthus, T.R., 1798. An essay on the principle of population. Libr. Econ. Lib. Jevons, W.S., 1865. The Coal Question: an Enquiry Concerning the Progress of the Nation, and the Probable Exhaustion of Our Coal-mines. Macmillan, London. Bihouix, P. (2020). The age of low tech: Towards a technologically sustainable civilization. Policy Press. Radjou, N., Prabhu, J., & Ahuja, S. (2012). Jugaad innovation: Think frugal, be flexible, and generate breakthrough growth. John Wiley & Sons. Oxfam, 2014. Working for the Few: Political Capture and Economic Inequality. Oxfam, Oxford. Piketty, T., 2014. Capital in the Twenty-first Century. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge and London. Wiedmann, T.O., Schandl, H., Lenzen, M., Moran, D., Suh, S., West, J., Kanemoto, K., 2015. The Material Footprint of Nations. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/ Schneider, F., Kallis, G., Martínez-Alier, J., 2010. Crisis or opportunity? Economic degrowth for social equity and ecological sustainability. Introduction to this special issue. J. Clean. Prod. 18, 511e518. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ Martínez-Alier, J., Pascual, U., Vivien, F.-D., Zaccai, E., 2010. Sustainable de-growth: mapping the context, criticisms and future prospects of an emergent paradigm. Ecol. Econ. 69, 1741e1747. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.04.017. Hueting, R., 2010. Why environmental sustainability can most probably not be attained with growing production. J. Clean. Prod. 18, 525e530. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2009.04.003 Bilancini, E., D’Alessandro, S., 2012. Long-run welfare under externalities in consumption, leisure, and production: a case for happy degrowth vs. unhappy growth. Ecol. Econ. 84, 194e205. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.ecolecon.2011.10.023. Demaria, F., Schneider, F., Sekulova, F., & Martinez-Alier, J. (2013). What is degrowth? From an activist slogan to a social movement. Environmental values, 22(2), 191-215. Muraca, B. (2013). Décroissance: A project for a radical transformation of society. Environmental Values, 22(2), 147-169. Van den Bergh, J.C.J.M., Kallis, G., 2012. Growth, a-growth or degrowth to stay within planetary boundaries? J. Econ. Issues 46, 909e920. D’Alisa, G., Demaria, F., Kallis, G. (Eds.), 2015. Degrowth: a Vocabulary for a New Era. Routledge, Oxon and New York. Kallis, G., 2011. In defence of degrowth. Ecol. Econ. 70, 873e880. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.12.007. Cosme, I., Santos, R., & O’Neill, D. W. (2017). Assessing the degrowth discourse: A review and analysis of academic degrowth policy proposals. Journal of Cleaner Production, 149, 321-334 Degrowth: a call for radical Socio-Ecological Transformation. Federico, Demaria (n.d.). © 2021. https://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/articles/degrowth-a-call-for-radical-socio-ecological-transformation Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3901592","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Systematic Review","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":269534819,"identity":"6790e3ca-a391-4c11-8c6e-bbd26253fff0","order_by":0,"name":"Muzamil Farooq","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAw0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFAC5oMPPiDzJQhrYUs2nEGiFh4zaR6StOjOSEuQtvlz2F6+vceA4UcNQ+LMBgJazM4cPmCc23Y4ccOZYwmMPccYEmcTssXseFtCcm7D4QQDieQDDLwNDInzCGo5zGNw2ALksPkPGxj/EqXleI9hMwPbYcaGG8wHmEG2EHbYmWPJjL1t6UC/pCUcljkmYUzY+zeSj//48ccaGGJnDB++qbGRnXGAkDXI4ABRETkKRsEoGAWjgDAAAB+aQpIeCQK4AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2197-8097","institution":"SPRU-Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Muzamil","middleName":"","lastName":"Farooq","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-01-27 02:33:08","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3901592/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3901592/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":50347901,"identity":"a818353b-4569-4165-99ff-1f58a7eda92f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 06:57:00","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":68186,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYearly Number of Publications\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/ca471a14826a85fd7ccb6735.png"},{"id":50347903,"identity":"04d9e4bf-4be2-4337-8719-fbf9230b75fb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 06:57:00","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":50845,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYearly Number of Publications\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/167b5ac8853b3a486e3afacb.png"},{"id":50348256,"identity":"85dedaa9-6c2c-4eef-8c47-923919766cbd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 07:05:00","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":20062,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTop five Journals\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/4737dce7d701060efda42966.png"},{"id":50347905,"identity":"c2ea25dc-36c2-4a00-9349-b17a30f7c043","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 06:57:00","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":59879,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTop five Authors\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/46cdfb89fc8cf2bb6ad216d0.png"},{"id":50347906,"identity":"825199f5-5390-4188-b8f0-10068ec4dc3b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 06:57:00","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":51824,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry wise Trend of Publications\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/5a9640b7147ebcd1192cd5c3.png"},{"id":50347908,"identity":"19f180f5-c481-45b2-bebf-e9a1e447b67b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 06:57:00","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":56100,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Networks\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/4572900da6398e2c664dab83.png"},{"id":50347909,"identity":"480a19bb-6543-4d51-bd8b-68910100930e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 06:57:00","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":29204,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTop 20 Keywords Unigrams\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/b5ebafe21d9bd6930e1403e5.png"},{"id":50347910,"identity":"47d6d77b-6144-4e5b-84e1-b8429bea76e7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 06:57:00","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":92517,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTop 20 Keywords Bigrams\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/251bfbe43a893eca8d20d0b5.png"},{"id":50347911,"identity":"7344e598-9fe9-41fb-8f72-84ee61b4cac3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 06:57:00","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"Figure 9","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":205989,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSentiment Analysis of Degrowth\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/88317c950e086e9840ce5c7b.png"},{"id":50347907,"identity":"4e4bb03e-ecbb-4f17-83bc-bb3d1a82bb98","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 06:57:00","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"Figure 10","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":19799,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eUnnumbered image in the Introduction and Background section.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"UnnumberFig.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/abf866270c931a41ab38eea9.png"},{"id":50348731,"identity":"15fc856c-b684-4a29-a6df-a7b01a79a6f5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-30 07:13:01","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":845192,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3901592/v1/e9082b32-e05e-4854-8c10-6619c06bf3d5.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eTracing the ‘Degrowth Movement’: Insights from Academic Literature\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction and Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eNumerous authors around the globe started the discourse over resource scarcity considering human activity and the limits to economic growth (Barnett and Morse, 1963; Jevons, 1865; Malthus, 1798). This debate became the centre of attention with Thomas Malthus\u0026rsquo;s \u003cem\u003eThe Limits to Growth\u003c/em\u003e in 1972 (Meadows et al., 1972). Limits theory although being criticised on various fronts, many authors have recently suggested that some physical limits are inevitable in the path towards economic growth, which are the building blocks of innovation models like Frugal in the global south (Radjou et al., 2012) and Low Tech in the global north (Bihouix, 2020). In parallel to the debate of rationalising the concept of limits with ecological concerns, scholars have highlighted the social limits to economic growth as well. Before World War II, global economic growth was considered more inclusive, but since then, economic growth has led to increased inequality, with an estimated half of the world\u0026apos;s wealth now owned by a mere 1% of the population. (Oxfam, 2014; Piketty, 2014). Amidst the failed strategies and policies (Wiedmann et al., 2015) to combine economic, social, and environmental well-being, degrowth as an alternative has been highly looked upon since last few decades as the proponents believe that it can bring sustainability at all fronts of economic growth (Hueting, 2010; Martínez-Alier et al., 2010; Schneider et al., 2010). The concept of degrowth prioritises human well-being while reducing the importance of economic growth (Bilancini and D\u0026rsquo;Alessandro, 2012). It resonates with the ideas of anti-utilitarian economic systems proposed by Gandhi and Schumacher (Demaria et al., 2013; Muraca, 2013). This idea appears to connect the degrowth movement with patterns arising from the Global South, which is otherwise reflected in the academic literature and will be highlighted in the discussion of this article as well.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumerous non-academic entities often misconceive degrowth as merely the opposite of growth or equate it with economic downturns, which is not its intended purpose (Schneider et al., 2010). While implementing degrowth strategies, it\u0026apos;s possible to experience a temporary recession as part of the transition to a more sustainable economic model, but such a recession is not expected to be permanent. Degrowth challenges the reliance on GDP as a measure of economic progress, drawing attention to its various shortcomings (Van den Bergh, 2009). Academics have increasingly focused on diverse approaches to degrowth, tailored differently for developed and developing countries. This leads to variations in the definition of \u0026apos;degrowth,\u0026apos; depending on the specific context in which it is applied, although many authors have attempted to summarise the various entities that it entails (D\u0026rsquo;Alisa et al., 2015; Demaria et al., 2013; Martínez-Alier et al., 2010). \u0026nbsp;A more general and widely accepted definition in academia of the term is given by (Kallis, 2011), as he defines it as \u0026lsquo;a process of political and social transformation that reduces a society\u0026rsquo;s throughput while improving the quality of life.\u0026rsquo; Providing the importance of degrowth for policy discussions, tracing the literature and providing insights can lead to better outcomes in the implementation of the degrowth framework (Cosme et al., 2017).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn line with the above-mentioned background of the degrowth, this study aims to trace the recent position of the discourse in academic discussions. The article will build on the previous studies conducted on the topic while aligning and comparing it with the latest academic publications on the topic published in the last decade. To do so, this article employed the R data analysis on 933 publications fetched from the science direct data source with the keyword \u0026lsquo;degrowth.\u0026rsquo; In this regard, the study has three main underlying research questions:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col style=\"list-style-type: lower-roman;\"\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWhat is the current global trend of publications on degrowth?\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWhat different insights do these trends represent?\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWhat are the future research trends on the degrowth movement? \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo answer these, data analysed literature review using R-programming was employed. Various plots representing the different trends in literature were fetched using R-codes. The uncovered insights were related to the growing academic literature in the degrowth movement, main contributing countries and authors, author collaborations, top authors, and journals and finally the sentiment analysis of the term degrowth in the literature. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research situates itself within the expanding body of critical literature concerning economic policy and sustainability. It aligns with the existing body of work on the degrowth movement, aiming to enhance the development of economic and environmental policies through a thorough comprehension of the degrowth phenomenon in the present context. Apart from uncovering the various future research opportunities, the study generates various policy recommendations for policymakers, governments, and academic scholars. \u0026nbsp;Nevertheless, this study acknowledges several limitations, which are elaborated upon in the discussion section of the article.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methodology and Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e3.1 Data Collection and Filtering\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe initial attempt to collect data through OpenAlex was unsuccessful due to the unavailability of the required data in that database. As a result, the search shifted to the advanced search feature of Science Direct, using \u0026apos;degrowth\u0026apos; as the primary keyword. This approach produced around 47,000 peer-reviewed articles on the subject. Applying a date filter narrowed this down to about 1,400 articles from various peer-reviewed journals. To further refine this dataset, an additional filtering criterion involving the exclusion of short reports and book chapters was employed. This step effectively reduced the dataset to 933 relevant publications.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThese publications were downloaded as BibTeX files, with each file encapsulating data from 25 publications. The next phase involved converting these multiple BibTeX files into a single, comprehensive CSV file. However, the dataset at this stage contained numerous cliches and required manual cleaning. After the cleaning process, the final dataset consisted of 933 rows and 7 columns. These columns provided detailed information on various aspects of each publication, such as the type of article, the authors, the publication date, the Digital Object Identifier (DOI), the journal in which it was published, the abstract, and the keywords associated with each article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e3.2 Data Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe data analysis process began with the installation of essential packages in R, focusing on those pertinent to data sorting and plotting. The initial step of the analysis involved tracking the annual number of publications as a time series. This was accomplished using the \u0026apos;ggplot2\u0026apos; library, where specific aesthetics, themes, and characteristics were assigned to the plot. To enhance the visualization of trends, a line plot was also generated based on the yearly publication data. Following the analysis of publication trends, a bar plot was created to showcase the top five journals contributing to the field. This plot was derived from the journal column in the dataset, highlighting key journals that researchers in this study domain could refer to for relevant literature. Subsequently, another insightful bar plot was constructed to highlight the top contributing authors in the literature. This visualization offered intriguing insights that were later discussed in the article.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe analysis then moved to a more collaborative aspect, producing a network visualization of authors who frequently collaborated within the degrowth discourse. This provided a view into the concentration and collaboration patterns in the literature. Additionally, the top 20 most common unigrams and bigrams in the literature were plotted. This step was crucial in interpreting the meaningful direction and focus of the discourse. This visual element offered a succinct and impactful representation of the prevalent themes and topics within the body of literature under review. Finally, a sentiment analysis of the word \u0026lsquo;degrowth\u0026rsquo; was done to highlight the perception of researchers regarding this movement which also generated some firm and useful insights into the discourse.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e3.3 Results\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e3.3.1 Yearly Trend of Publications\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e displays a bar plot depicting the annual publication trends related to the degrowth movement. The plot distinctly illustrates an upward trajectory in the number of publications in this area, underscoring the growing relevance of this topic in the sphere of economic policymaking. The data reveals a steady increase in degrowth-related research up to the year 2020, followed by a more pronounced rise post-2020, with each subsequent year contributing approximately 40 new publications. Notably, the year 2023 stands out as a pivotal year, adding nearly 50 publications to the discourse.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThis plot is indicative of an escalating interest in research focused on alternative models of economic growth. The ascending trend suggests a broadening scope for research, opening up numerous possibilities to explore various aspects and nuances of the degrowth concept. Figure \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e further enhances the clarity of this trend, providing a more detailed visualization of the research trajectory in this field.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e3.3.2 Top Five Journals\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e showcases a bar plot of the top five journals that have published the most significant number of works on the degrowth movement in the last decade. The purpose of this visualization is to inform future researchers in the field of degrowth about where they can find pertinent literature. According to the plot, Ecological Economics and the Journal of Cleaner Production emerge as the primary repositories of knowledge on the degrowth movement within the Science Direct database, each contributing over 130 publications in the past ten years. This information is crucial for researchers seeking to delve into existing studies and contribute to this evolving discourse.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e3.3.3 Top Five Authors\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e illustrates a bar plot featuring the top five authors who have significantly contributed to the discourse on the degrowth movement. This visualization effectively highlights the key scholars in this field, with figures like Kallis and O\u0026apos;Neill standing out as prominent contributors over the past decade. Their extensive work has made them well-known in the degrowth discourse. This plot proved to be very insightful, revealing deeper aspects of the topic. An interesting dimension was added by manually examining the nationalities and countries of these top five authors. This analysis facilitated the creation of a region-wise distribution of the literature. The findings indicate that, in contrast to frugal or grassroots alternative models, which are predominantly phenomena of the Global South, the degrowth movement is distinctly a Global North phenomenon.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e further complements this narrative by presenting a country-wise breakdown of publications on the degrowth movement. This distribution aligns with the earlier observation, clearly demonstrating that the bulk of degrowth research and publication activity is centred in the Global North. This geographical insight is crucial for understanding the origins and primary influences in the discourse of degrowth.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e3.3.4 Author Networks\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e depicts a straightforward network diagram of author collaborations within the degrowth discourse. This visualization reveals that the majority of the literature is the result of individual contributions, with only a limited number of collaborations among authors. This pattern underscores the need for increased collaborative research in this field, suggesting that greater cooperation among scholars could enrich and diversify the discourse on degrowth.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e3.3.5 Top 20 Keywords Unigrams/Bigrams\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTo fetch the understanding and linkage of this topic towards different limits, tracing the keywords in abstracts is one way to do so and generate useful insights about the direction of research. Figure \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e represents the top 20 keywords as unigrams.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWhile the unigrams indicate that the degrowth literature predominantly focuses on themes like energy, climate, and sustainability, Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e delves deeper by showcasing the top bigrams found in the abstracts of the dataset. This approach provides a clearer understanding of the subject matter. Previous literature reviews have highlighted that the degrowth movement encompasses multiple objectives. However, according to the analysis of bigrams, the most prominent objective emerging from the discourse centres around climate change, energy, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, it\u0026apos;s evident that the movement also addresses social issues such as inequality, though these topics are not as predominant as the environmental aspects.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e3.3.6 Sentiment Analysis of Degrowth\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe literature points out that, like other alternative models, the degrowth movement is subject to various critiques in academic circles. This observation underscores the importance of examining the sentiments associated with the term \u0026apos;degrowth\u0026apos; in academic discussions. To capture this aspect, Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e presents an analysis of the sentiment attached to the word \u0026apos;degrowth\u0026apos; in each article fetched from the abstracts. As anticipated, the sentiment towards degrowth in the academic literature is predominantly positive, indicating a general academic favourability or approval of the concept. Only a few counted numbers of articles posit the word degrowth in negative sentiments. This highlights the importance of the degrowth movement for the positive development of economic and environmental policies.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.1 Implications\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study aimed to provide a data-driven review of the literature on the degrowth movement over the past decade, revealing key aspects of the discourse. The insights gained from this analysis can fetch significant attention from scholars, policymakers, and governments. Amidst a complex web of social challenges and the shortcomings of current policies, degrowth has emerged as a highly regarded alternative model for economic development. The study's initial focus on publication trends revealed an increasing interest in degrowth, indicating a widening scope for research and the potential to delve into diverse facets of the concept. The identification of two main journals with the most publications on degrowth offers a valuable resource for future researchers seeking relevant literature and the latest perspectives in the field.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAddressing the second question, the study unearthed several notable findings. The identification of the top five contributing authors led to insights into the country-wise distribution of publications, with nations like Spain, Denmark, and the United Kingdom being key contributors. This confirms that the degrowth movement is predominantly a Global North phenomenon, differing from other alternative models of innovation such as frugal and grassroots innovations. This understanding can encourage other Global North countries to consider degrowth as a viable innovation model and integrate it into effective policymaking. Additionally, the study underscores the need for more collaborative research to garner richer insights from diverse global contexts, advocating for increased cross-national cooperation in future degrowth research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe keyword analysis revealed a primary focus on environmental limits within the degrowth literature, with less emphasis on social challenges like economic inequality. Terms such as energy, environment, sustainability, and climate change dominated the discourse, pointing to a research gap in addressing the social dimensions of degrowth. Finally, the sentiment analysis of the term 'degrowth' reflected a predominantly positive outlook among scholars, with only a few articles expressing negative sentiments. This finding partially addresses the third research question, suggesting that the academic community views degrowth as a promising alternative model of innovation and a subject of keen interest for future exploration.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.2 Limitations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study, while comprehensive in its approach to analysing the degrowth movement through scholarly articles, presents several limitations:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eSelection of Data Sources:\u003c/em\u003e The reliance on a specific database (Science Direct) and the selection of articles using specific keywords may have influenced the breadth and variety of the literature reviewed. This could result in a bias toward certain perspectives or a lack of representation of dissenting or alternative viewpoints.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eTime Frame Limitation:\u003c/em\u003e Focusing solely on the past decade might miss critical developments and foundational works in the degrowth discourse that emerged before this period. This temporal boundary could overlook the evolution of thought and debate in the earlier stages of the movement.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eScope of Literature:\u003c/em\u003e The study confines itself to scholarly articles, potentially omitting insights from other relevant sources such as books, reports, or grey literature that may offer valuable perspectives on the degrowth movement.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cem\u003eMethodological Constraints:\u003c/em\u003e While using R programming provides a robust framework for data analysis, the methodology may have its limitations in terms of the depth of qualitative analysis. The use of sentiment analysis and content analysis through computational means may not fully capture the nuances and complexities of academic discourse.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eExclusion of Non-Peer-Reviewed Sources:\u003c/em\u003e By focusing only on peer-reviewed articles, the study may miss out on innovative ideas and discussions taking place in less formal or emerging platforms, which can be especially relevant in a rapidly evolving field like degrowth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eUsing only Abstracts:\u003c/em\u003e Lack of Depth and Context: Abstracts provide a concise overview of an article but may omit crucial details, nuances, and the full context of the research. Important arguments, methodologies, and findings are often summarized, which might not capture the complexity and depth of the authors' work.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.3 Future Work\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery limitation and research gap highlighted in this article underscores opportunities for further exploration and enhancement in understanding the degrowth discourse. To encapsulate these areas: (i) Future research on degrowth should emphasize fostering more collaborations. Collaborative efforts can bring diverse perspectives and expertise, enriching the depth and scope of research in this field. (ii) Employing qualitative research methodologies, such as case studies, is crucial for comprehending the practical applications and implications of the degrowth framework. Such approaches can provide in-depth insights into real-world scenarios and the complexities of implementing degrowth principles. (iii) Policymakers, scholars, and governments are encouraged to explore the potential of degrowth as an economic model within policy frameworks. This involves assessing how degrowth concepts can be integrated into existing economic policies and strategies. (iv) There should be a concerted effort to direct more research towards the practical implementation of the degrowth framework. This includes conducting detailed case studies to illustrate how degrowth principles can be effectively applied and the impacts they have in various contexts.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of Interest:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBarnett, H.J., Morse, C., 1963. Scarcity and Growth: The Economics of Natural Resource Availability. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMeadows, D.H., Meadows, D.L., Randers, J., Behrens III, W., 1972. The Limits to Growth. New American Library, New York.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMalthus, T.R., 1798. An essay on the principle of population. Libr. Econ. Lib.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eJevons, W.S., 1865. The Coal Question: an Enquiry Concerning the Progress of the Nation, and the Probable Exhaustion of Our Coal-mines. Macmillan, London.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBihouix, P. (2020). The age of low tech: Towards a technologically sustainable civilization. Policy Press.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRadjou, N., Prabhu, J., \u0026amp; Ahuja, S. (2012). Jugaad innovation: Think frugal, be flexible, and generate breakthrough growth. John Wiley \u0026amp; Sons.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOxfam, 2014. Working for the Few: Political Capture and Economic Inequality. Oxfam, Oxford.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ePiketty, T., 2014. Capital in the Twenty-first Century. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge and London.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWiedmann, T.O., Schandl, H., Lenzen, M., Moran, D., Suh, S., West, J., Kanemoto, K., 2015. The Material Footprint of Nations. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSchneider, F., Kallis, G., Martínez-Alier, J., 2010. Crisis or opportunity? Economic degrowth for social equity and ecological sustainability. Introduction to this special issue. J. Clean. Prod. 18, 511e518. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMartínez-Alier, J., Pascual, U., Vivien, F.-D., Zaccai, E., 2010. Sustainable de-growth: mapping the context, criticisms and future prospects of an emergent paradigm. Ecol. Econ. 69, 1741e1747. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.04.017.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHueting, R., 2010. Why environmental sustainability can most probably not be attained with growing production. J. Clean. Prod. 18, 525e530. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2009.04.003\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBilancini, E., D\u0026rsquo;Alessandro, S., 2012. Long-run welfare under externalities in consumption, leisure, and production: a case for happy degrowth vs. unhappy growth. Ecol. Econ. 84, 194e205. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.ecolecon.2011.10.023.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDemaria, F., Schneider, F., Sekulova, F., \u0026amp; Martinez-Alier, J. (2013). What is degrowth? From an activist slogan to a social movement. Environmental values, 22(2), 191-215.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMuraca, B. (2013). D\u0026eacute;croissance: A project for a radical transformation of society. Environmental Values, 22(2), 147-169.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eVan den Bergh, J.C.J.M., Kallis, G., 2012. Growth, a-growth or degrowth to stay within planetary boundaries? J. Econ. Issues 46, 909e920.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eD\u0026rsquo;Alisa, G., Demaria, F., Kallis, G. (Eds.), 2015. Degrowth: a Vocabulary for a New Era. Routledge, Oxon and New York.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKallis, G., 2011. In defence of degrowth. Ecol. Econ. 70, 873e880. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.12.007.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eCosme, I., Santos, R., \u0026amp; O\u0026rsquo;Neill, D. W. (2017). Assessing the degrowth discourse: A review and analysis of academic degrowth policy proposals. Journal of Cleaner Production, 149, 321-334\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDegrowth: a call for radical Socio-Ecological Transformation. Federico, Demaria (n.d.). \u0026copy; 2021. https://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/articles/degrowth-a-call-for-radical-socio-ecological-transformation\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"degrowth, sustainability, economics, energy, innovation","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3901592/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3901592/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePurpose:\u003c/strong\u003e Over the years, various alternative models of innovation have surfaced globally, aiming to tackle diverse societal issues. One significant area of academic debate in this context has been 'degrowth.' This concept focuses on a fundamental reshaping of political and economic systems, advocating for a reduction in energy and resource consumption. The use of the term 'degrowth' has become more common among researchers and activists, who use it to challenge the principles and costs linked with development driven by growth. The origins of this discussion can be traced back to the early 1990s, and it has since become a focal point in debates surrounding innovation and economic policy. Over time, scholars have scrutinized the concept, connecting it to the status quo or dogma, thereby calling for the conduct of more studies in this regard. This article contributes to the examination of the degrowth discourse over the past decade within scholarly works.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods:\u003c/strong\u003e Utilizing R programming, it conducts an in-depth analysis of 933 scholarly articles, revealing the core aspects of this dialogue and offering a data-driven review of the literature.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults:\u003c/strong\u003e The study identifies various trends within this discourse and, through sentiment analysis of the term, illustrates the increasing agreement and policy focus on degrowth over the past decade.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion:\u003c/strong\u003e The data analysed review of literature is illustrated through various types of plots, each uncovering the different dynamics of degrowth. The article finally offers various insights about degrowth that can influence the positive development of economic and environmental policies.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Tracing the ‘Degrowth Movement’: Insights from Academic Literature","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-01-30 06:56:55","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3901592/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"eeeadc51-2ade-4d63-aba4-b5c6185fc51d","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 30th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":28403536,"name":"Other Economics"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-01-30T06:56:56+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-01-30 06:56:55","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-3901592","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-3901592","identity":"rs-3901592","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}