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The comings and goings of Suderbyn: an analysis of how an ecovillage navigates the contradictions of real utopias and its implications for degrowth strategies of change

Bakker, Berber LU (2026) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20261
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
Humanity is faced with multiple interconnected crises, ranging from the climate breakdown to searing inequalities. There is thus an urgent need to move towards a different socio-political-economic system. Degrowth scholars envision a post-capitalist society centered around ecological and social wellbeing. One way to get there is by building on existing interstitial initiatives. At the same time such ‘real utopias’ are inherently contradictory in nature. Through ethnographic fieldwork I investigated how these tensions play out in the Suderbyn ecovillage, which has a strong focus on education. Their educational efforts align with degrowth principles but also impact the stability of the place and can impede achieving other objectives, such as... (More)
Humanity is faced with multiple interconnected crises, ranging from the climate breakdown to searing inequalities. There is thus an urgent need to move towards a different socio-political-economic system. Degrowth scholars envision a post-capitalist society centered around ecological and social wellbeing. One way to get there is by building on existing interstitial initiatives. At the same time such ‘real utopias’ are inherently contradictory in nature. Through ethnographic fieldwork I investigated how these tensions play out in the Suderbyn ecovillage, which has a strong focus on education. Their educational efforts align with degrowth principles but also impact the stability of the place and can impede achieving other objectives, such as self-sufficiency. The community navigates these trade-offs through continuous dialogue and flexible decision-making. Suderbyn shows how the inherent contradictions of ecovillages limit their potential to “erode” capitalism and need to be combined with other strategies in order to facilitate a degrowth transition. (Less)
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author
Bakker, Berber LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Ecovillage, Degrowth, Interstitial Transformation, Alternative Education, Sustainability Science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2026:020
language
English
id
9230430
date added to LUP
2026-06-04 11:41:36
date last changed
2026-06-04 11:41:36
@misc{9230430,
  abstract     = {{Humanity is faced with multiple interconnected crises, ranging from the climate breakdown to searing inequalities. There is thus an urgent need to move towards a different socio-political-economic system. Degrowth scholars envision a post-capitalist society centered around ecological and social wellbeing. One way to get there is by building on existing interstitial initiatives. At the same time such ‘real utopias’ are inherently contradictory in nature. Through ethnographic fieldwork I investigated how these tensions play out in the Suderbyn ecovillage, which has a strong focus on education. Their educational efforts align with degrowth principles but also impact the stability of the place and can impede achieving other objectives, such as self-sufficiency. The community navigates these trade-offs through continuous dialogue and flexible decision-making. Suderbyn shows how the inherent contradictions of ecovillages limit their potential to “erode” capitalism and need to be combined with other strategies in order to facilitate a degrowth transition.}},
  author       = {{Bakker, Berber}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{The comings and goings of Suderbyn: an analysis of how an ecovillage navigates the contradictions of real utopias and its implications for degrowth strategies of change}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}