Description
(Text)
Today it feels like everybody is talking about the problems and crises of our times: the climate and resource crisis, Greece's permanent socio-political crisis or the degrading exploitative practices of the textile industry. Many are aware of the issues, yet little seems to change. Why is this? The concept of the imperial mode of living explains why, in spite of increasing injustices, no long-term alternatives have managed to succeed and a socio-ecological transformation remains out of sight.
This text presents the concept of an imperial mode of living and explains how our current mode of production and living is putting both people and the natural world under strain. We shine a spotlight on various areas of our daily lives, among them food, mobility and digitalisation. We also look at socio-ecological alternatives and approaches to establish a good life for everyone - instead of for just a few.
(Text)
Today it feels like everybody is talking about the problems and crises of our times: the climate and resource crisis, Greece's permanent socio-political crisis or the degrading exploitative practices of the textile industry. Many are aware of the issues, yet little seems to change. Why is this? The concept of the imperial mode of living explains why, in spite of increasing injustices, no long-term alternatives have managed to succeed and a socio-ecological transformation remains out of sight.This text presents the concept of an imperial mode of living and explains how our current mode of production and living is putting both people and the natural world under strain. We shine a spotlight on various areas of our daily lives, among them food, mobility and digitalisation. We also look at socio-ecological alternatives and approaches to establish a good life for everyone - instead of for just a few.
(Author portrait)
The non-profit association Common Future e.V. from Göttingen is active in a number of projects focussing on global justice and socio-ecological business approaches. From April 2016 to May 2017, the association organised the I.L.A. Werkstatt (Imperiale Lebensweisen - Ausbeutungsstrukturen im 21. Jahrhundert/Imperial modes of Living - Structures of Exploitation in the 21st century). Out of this was borne the interdisciplinary I.L.A. Kollektiv, consisting of 17 young researchers and activists. Their goal: dedicating a whole year to the scientific study of the imperial mode of living and bringing their results to a wider audience.Thomas Kopp konzipierte und leitete die I.L.A. Werkstatt aus der das vorliegende Dossier hervorging. Er sitzt dem Verein Common Future e.V. vor und forscht an der Universität Göttingen.Jannis Eicker ist Politikwissenschaftler an der Universität Kassel. Er engagiert sich in Arbeitskämpfen und Aktionen zu Klimagerechtigkeit.
