Dèsupements

Dèsupements is a neologism used in contemporary discourse to describe the deliberate reversal or simplification of upward-directed processes within systems. Broadly, it denotes moves away from growth-driven, hierarchical escalation toward flatter, more retrospective configurations. The term is used across fields such as organizational theory, information architecture, and social policy to capture a shared intuition that some trajectories emphasize ascent and promotion, which is being resisted or reconfigured in favor of stability, inclusivity, or flexibility.

Etymology and usage: The word appears to have emerged in online essays and academic blogs in the early 2010s, with observers noting a blend of the French preposition dès meaning “from” or “since” and the English word up, plus the nominal suffix -ements. Its exact origin remains ambiguous, and usage varies by author. Some describe the phenomenon as a planning choice—the dismantling of promotion ladders—while others frame it as a cultural shift away from growth-first narratives.

Applications: In organizational design, dèsupements describe flattening hierarchies and reducing formal pathways to promotion to promote autonomy and rapid decision-making. In digital governance, they refer to simplifying user interfaces and metadata structures by lowering the number of upward-cascading categorizations. In urban and social policy, the term is sometimes used to denote strategies that curb upward mobility narratives in favor of more egalitarian or stable outcomes.

Reception: Critics argue that the term is vague and ill-defined, making it an umbrella for disparate practices. Proponents see it as a useful shorthand for a broader trend toward flatter, more resilient systems.