The Illusion of Inclusive Growth: Biopolitics, Necropolitics and Techno-Solutionism in Contemporary Sci-Fi

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-607-9_21How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Inclusive Growth; Cinematic Ecocriticism; Biopolitics; Necropolitics; Techno-Solutionism

Abstract

This study examines two science fiction movies, Don’t Look Up and The Great Flood, to criticize the inability of power and technological innovation to promote inclusive growth during existential ecological crises. The method used is qualitative and interpretive research. By combining biopolitics (Foucault), necropolitics (Mbembe), and cinematic ecocriticism (Willoquet-Maricondi), this study undermines the illusion of inclusive growth promises and the capitalist narrative of “techno-solutionism.” According to the analysis, these movies first present environmental disasters in an anthropocentric manner, using technology as a biopolitical tool to control and safeguard society. But when the end of the world approaches, these innovations are revealed as necropolitical tools that uphold “climate apartheid.” Technology is engineered for the survival of the global elite, while marginalized communities are excluded and forced to face unavoidable “death-worlds.” Thus, it promotes the illusion of sustainability. In conclusion, both films show that innovation during a climate collapse inherently undermines inclusive growth under capitalist paradigms, acting solely as a sovereign tool to determine who is saved and who is left to perish. The study contributes to the development of environmental literature and increase the awareness on the inequality between ruling elite and marginalize people during ecological crisis. Technology, in fact us used solely to safeguard the interests of the elite.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Nungki Heriyati
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/06
TI  - The Illusion of Inclusive Growth: Biopolitics, Necropolitics and Techno-Solutionism in Contemporary Sci-Fi
BT  - Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Business, Economics, Social Sciences & Humanities – Humanities and Social Sciences Track (ICOBEST-HSS 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 244
EP  - 257
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-607-9_21
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-607-9_21
ID  - Heriyati2026
ER  -