KeynesÕ grandchildren – looking for a better future with work and welfare
J M Keynes suggested in a renowned essay around 1930
that his grandchildren, thanks to increasing efficiency at work, would have
solved the Óproduction problemÓ of satisfying their needs with a few hours of
daily work. But we, who could have been his grandchildren, continue to work as
hard as ever, while our consumption has trebled in the last fifty years.
Fast growing consumption also creates global warming
and other environmental hazards. KeynesÕ proposal of easing the burden of work has
turned into a condition for ecological survival. Efficiency must be
paired with a sense of sufficiency.
The book presents the transition from scarcity
to an economy of abundance, now limited by ecological restraints and the outcome
of this in terms of progress in society and life satisfaction. It discusses global
consumption trends and drivers of consumption, in society and in people. In
search of a better future, it analyses employment patterns, advocating work
sharing as the ultimate means –
among more conventional ones – for a sustainable future for our grandchildren.
Christer Sanne, MSc, PhD and retired Assistant Professor from KTH (Royal Institute of
Technology). christer.sanne@glocalnet.net Tel: +46 8 30 47 38
Homepage: http://goto.glocalnet.net/christersanne
The book (in Swedish) is published by Formas, www.formas.se 174 pp. ISBN 978-91-540-5980-5
CONTENT (in direct
translation from Swedish)
1. Despair or
brilliant chance?
Trebled
consumption and still not happier – and the earth can take no more!
A
quijotic proposal?
A more
satisfying starting point: the production problem is solved!
2. How did we get
there? – from Adam (Smith) to the Limits of growth
From
social ties to freedom without responsibility
Consumption
from needs to wants
3. What did we
get? – on living standard and the environment
What
has happened to consumption?
The
welfare state and the Baumol dilemma
Lifestyle,
income and pollution
4. How did it
work out? – on progress and happiness
To
measure society's progress
Happiness,
consumption and work: what do people say?
5. Room for
everyone? – on global consumption
The
global perspective: incredible gulfs
Limits
to growth?
A
world out of balance
What
will happen next? – the world in 2050
6. From needs to
lifestyle tools – the history of ideas of consumption
Morals
and needs in a stratified society
New
times: production and work in focus
Consumption
as a cultural and social phenomenon
Back
to needs by the back door
Is it
really a question of consumer welfare?
7. Why do we buy?
The
economic perspective: preferences guiding towards well-being
Consumption
and status
Consumption
and psychology
The
locked-in consumer
What
do consumers say on needs and wants?
Buying
less for the sake of environment?
8. Living lightly
– is it possible?
How
much is enough?
Environmental
policy chasing its own tail
Sustainable
consumption in Swedish politics
9. Out of the
treadmill – to save the environment!
Work
for better or worse
A
sustainable order for employment
10. A future to
look forward to
Actors
and arenas
The
state and the Janus face
Reflexive
consumers and citizens
Social
climate and future politics
Proposals
References