The sterilization of eco-criticismFrom sustainable development to green capitalism

  1. Santamarina Campos, Beatriz
  2. Vaccaro, Ismael
  3. Beltran Costa, Oriol
Journal:
Anduli: revista andaluza de ciencias sociales

ISSN: 1696-0270,  2340-4973

Year of publication: 2015

Issue: 14

Pages: 13-28

Type: Article

DOI: 10.12795/ANDULI.2015.I14.01 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openDialnet editor

More publications in: Anduli: revista andaluza de ciencias sociales

Abstract

Development has been a dominant and highly visible trope of the global political and economic life of the world since the 1950s. As such it has been inevitably linked to some of the most important social processes of this era: colonialism, globalization, postcolonialism, global ecological crisis, the rise of environmentalism, and more. The consolidation of the contemporary consumer global society came, hand by hand, with the certainty that it sustained a way of life that as a collateral damage, included a global ecological crisis. From many quarters of the world new voices raised concerns about the costs of globalization and proposed alternatives and solutions: modern eco-criticism was born. This article analyzes the historical process of emergence of eco-critical concepts as well as on its appropriation, redefinition, and use by mainstream political and economic agents. Specifically we reflect on how �development� and �growth� under heavy criticism during the 70s were gradually transformed on �sustainable development� first, and, as the conversion was still raising significant disapproval, to �sustainability� later. The adoption of these new ideological frameworks to legitimize development allowed Western societies to dismiss more critical approaches such us �zero growth� or �de-growth

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