Beyond growth and partition: post-growth and ecological perspectives on the political economy of Irish reunification

Sean Fearon, John Barry

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)
102 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This article adds important post-growth and ecological–economic perspectives to the growing debate on Irish reunification by placing the planetary emergency at the heart of the political economy of the issue. An account is provided of overlapping and interlinked global ecological crises, and the case is made that any argument for or against Irish reunification is ill-informed and incomplete without an understanding and acknowledgement of our stark and unstable planetary future. Moreover, this contribution to the debate presents some post-growth political economy perspectives that identify economic growth as the driver of ecological breakdown. Therefore, the Irish unity project (and all those involved in the debate, both for and against) must consider a post-growth position rooted in science-based and non-negotiable ecological realities. An ecological–economic and socio-economic critique of growth regimes, often proposed as the basis of a united Ireland economy, is presented to advance the need for a post-growth alternative.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)373-405
Number of pages33
JournalIrish Studies in International Affairs
Volume33
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, Royal Irish Academy. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • United Ireland
  • Irish Reunification
  • post-growth economics
  • climate crisis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Development
  • Economics and Econometrics
  • Political Science and International Relations

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