Envisioning an academia for degrowth transformations

Global academia is pervaded by hierarchies and logics preventing it from playing a positive role in transformations towards socially and ecologically harmonious societies, such as those envisioned by proponents of degrowth. Various proposals on what needs to change in the academy have been put forward. Whilst such proposals typically come in piecemeal form, multiple aspects would need to change in parallel. Against this background, we outline a holistic vision of a transformed academia: an academia for degrowth transformations that is less mobile, hierarchical, competitive and narcissistic and more stationary, democratic, and oriented towards inner growth. The argument is underpinned by critical realist philosophy and relates to our own practices, observations and experiences as academics working in the social sciences.