From hegemony-reinforcing to hegemony-transcending transformations: horizons of possibility and strategies of escape

In the face of ever escalating global socioecological crises, the necessity of radical systemic transformations has gained increasing political and academic traction over the last decade, among others in the context of 'green' and bio-based economies. We draw on the works of political philosophers Ernesto Laclau, Chantal Mouffe and Judith Butler to develop a typology of transformational dynamics. In this typology, the word transformation implies political agendas, processes and outcomes that involve the total structural reordering of a social field, which we juxtapose with 'inclusion', which implies cases in which pre-existing logics are further entrenched or extended. Drawing on the theoretical framework of hegemony, inclusions and transformations, we develop an analytical lens that focuses on the relations between hegemony and transformative dynamics. This analytical lens is developed and exemplified by discussing the transformative potentials of multiple socioecological and political agendas, including those associated with eco-modernism, Marxism, decoloniality, eco-feminism, degrowth and eco-anarchism. Depending on the transformative dynamics in relation to hegemony and the dominant political logics, we distinguish between hegemony-reinforcing, hegemony-replacing, and hegemony-transcending transformations. The provided lens and the typologies of transformations should be useful to those seeking to conceptualize, differentiate, analyse, and tactically strategize the realization of an array of socio-ecological agendas.

Automated summary

In the face of escalating global socioecological crises, the necessity of radical systemic transformations has gained attention in the political and academic realms, particularly in the context of 'green' and bio-based economies. Drawing on the works of Laclau, Mouffe, and Butler, a typology of transformational dynamics is developed, focusing on the relations between hegemony and transformative dynamics. The lens and typologies provided can be useful for conceptualizing, analyzing, and strategizing socio-ecological agendas.