Rostow’s “Stages of Economic Growth” concept conveys an unbridled confidence in the mid-20th century beliefs in the capitalist development paradigm and its notion of limitless economic growth. Although these ideas still remain deeply influential, new thinking about ‘degrowth’ have emerged in recent years in face of catastrophic environmental problems (climate crisis, mass extinction, wild fires, droughts, melting of the polar ice caps, ocean acidification etc). This lecture will address these competing ideas of economic growth and degrowth in this age of planetary crisis. What are the challenges that degrowth thinking will have to confront when attempting to convey its key ideas to wider publics?
Use at least 3 sources 2 from below and any additional source. Sources are sometimes more pages than required so please use reference list to read the precise page parameters.
Stellenbosch Harvard referencing.
Please use as much in-text referencing as possible for any idea related to the readings format as follows: please use rostow and hickel (Rostow, 1960:6). (Surname, year:page).
Hickel (2020:page).
I’ll give a substantial tip if the required readings are used as a primary source for the argument.
Required reading:
Rostow, W.W. 1960. The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 2, pp.4-16)
Hickel, J. 2020. Introduction and Part I (Ch1-3). Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World – read as much as you can.
Review of Hickel’s Less is More:
Additional background reading on climate change
The IPCC Fact Sheet:
2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Regional fact sheet – Africa
Mainly economic/GDP fethisism capitalism and inequality between global north and global south.
