Tiny Houses and the Economics of Sufficiency: How ‘Shrinking Domesticities' Fit within the Degrowth Paradigm

In this chapter we explore an interesting paradox in the theme of this special issue, namely, that the ‘shrinking domesticities’ of the tiny house movement might actually evoke an ‘expanded domesticity’ of increased self-sufficiency and household production. In an increasingly globalised and carbon-dependent world—albeit one disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis—it seems that any transition to a post-carbon economy will involve increased localisation of production and consumption, where more of what we need is produced within local bioregions, not sourced from distant supply chains. We frame our analysis of tiny houses in the context of the degrowth paradigm, which calls for planned contraction of energy and resource demands as a necessary part of just sustainability transition. We explore how advocates of both tiny houses and degrowth envision a ‘good life’ through the lens of sufficiency, sustainability, and security in the face of today’s multiple and overlapping crises. Based on empirical research, we also critically consider how tiny houses for some people are less an expression of sustainable ethics or free choice and, instead, embody a creative yet desperate response to harsh socio-economic situations forced upon individuals or families. These divergent realities coexist, and any grounded understanding of tiny houses must recognise this. ; No Full Text