Towards a Critical Appraisal of Work in Ecological Economics: A Moral Economy Perspective

Gerold, Stefanie; Hoffmann, Maja; Aigner, Ernest

doi:10.2139/ssrn.4196768

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The notion that social integration is achieved through participation in wage work is increasingly questioned within and beyond the platform economy (Schor et al, 2020), due to the growing low-wage sector failing to deliver living wages, oppressive mechanisms involving workfare measures, new forms of exploitation in working life characterised by flexibility encroaching the private sphere of life, and so-called 'bullshit-jobs' (Graeber, 2018) where the meaning and social function of work is questioned (for comprehensive critiques see Chamberlain, 2018 andFrayne, 2015). Moreover, the environmentally detrimental impact of our working life has been critically reviewed, for instance, in terms of the enormous ecological footprint linked to the material resource use, transportation and infrastructure associated with work, as well as the consumption culture underpinning the work society (Gerold et al, 2022;Hoffmann and Paulsen 2020). In addition, sustainable welfare scholars have proposed new models and systems of work, care and need satisfaction that are reliant on the unconditional provision of basic services (Coote and Percy, 2020;Büchs, 2021;Gough, 2019) and complemented by social protection systems that are repurposed to promote participation in socially and ecologically helpful activities rather than promoting all types of wage work (Dukelow and Murphy, 2022;Laruffa, 2022).…”

Section: Rethinking Work For a Socially And Ecologically Sustainable ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This article contributes to the emerging literature that rethinks the role of work and social protection systems in the context of social-ecological transformation towards post-growth and post-productivist economies (Bottazzi, 2019; Corlet Walker et al, 2021; Dermine and Dumont, 2022; Dukelow and Murphy, 2022; Gerold et al, 2022; Gomez-Baggethun, 2022; Hirvilammi and Joutsenvirta, 2020; Koch et al, 2023; Laruffa, 2022; Laruffa et al, 2021). We link the existing scholarly discussion to qualitative empirical data from eleven deliberative citizen forums on sustainable needs satisfaction – or needs satisfaction within planetary limits – which we conducted in Sweden during 2020.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of work and social protection systems in social-ecological transformations: Insights from deliberative citizen forums in Sweden

Lee,

Koch

2023

European Journal of Social Security

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To avoid catastrophic consequences of impending ecological crises our socio-economic systems need to be transformed in rapid and radical manners. Focusing on working life and Sweden as an example for countries of the Global North with a social-democratic welfare tradition, we ask how social protection systems may be reorganised according to the concept of ‘sustainable welfare’, the satisfaction of basic human needs across space and over time. We combine a literature review with an analysis of qualitative data from deliberative citizen forums following Max-Neef's Human Scale methodology. After taking stock of the existing literature that highlights the unsustainable character of current work regimes, we present our application of the methodology used in the citizen forums as well as the data. Our participants generally highlighted the importance of broadening the concept of work beyond ‘employment’ when reflecting on the role of work in addressing and satisfying multiple human needs within planetary limits. The introduction of a universal basic income, a participation income, an expansion of universal basic services, working time reduction and a sabbatical year conditioned on civic participation/education were among the eco-social reform ideas that forum participants highlighted to liberate work from its current unsustainable and capitalist contexts and turn it from a negative into a positive need satisfier.

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