Demmer, U., & Hummel, A. (2017). Degrowth, anthropology, and activist research: the ontological politics of science. Journal of Political Ecology, 24(1), 610-622.
This article argues that scientific practice of all kinds does not simply represent but actively constructs social
and cultural realities: it is involved in an "ontological politics." It reflects on activist research and addresses
the question of how science, and especially anthropology, can contribute to bringing degrowth alternatives
into being. We suggest that to overcome growth society and build a new imaginary, we first need to
denaturalize and decenter basic concepts of modern ontology. We then show how and why activist
researchers in new social movements such as degrowth are involved in bringing about new concepts,
imaginaries, and practices. Drawing on our experiences as activist researchers, we propose some basic
strategies and tools for activist research, including deconstruction, and the creation and/or use of new
concepts, such as translation and weaving.