Axes of contestation in sustainability transitions
Madsen, Stine LU ; Miörner, Johan LU and Hansen, Teis LU
(2022)
In Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions
45.
p.246-269
- Abstract
Research in sustainability transitions increasingly acknowledges that the structural characteristics of socio-technical systems differ. However, little attention has been paid to the specific transition dynamics that can result from this structural variation. In response, this paper develops a framework for studying transition dynamics that takes the structural characteristics of socio-technical systems and their influence on agency into account. We introduce the concept contestation axis to highlight alternative potential interfaces between functional solutions in a socio-technical system. We argue that considerable agency and frictions between actors can play out at other axes than between established regimes and emerging niches. Our... (More)
Research in sustainability transitions increasingly acknowledges that the structural characteristics of socio-technical systems differ. However, little attention has been paid to the specific transition dynamics that can result from this structural variation. In response, this paper develops a framework for studying transition dynamics that takes the structural characteristics of socio-technical systems and their influence on agency into account. We introduce the concept contestation axis to highlight alternative potential interfaces between functional solutions in a socio-technical system. We argue that considerable agency and frictions between actors can play out at other axes than between established regimes and emerging niches. Our conceptual framework is applied to a case study in the waste sector. We explore how the growing influence of the circular economy triggers misalignment between multiple socio-technical configurations in the Danish waste sector. In the case, we zoom in on three actual frictions that have manifested along different contestation axes.
(Less)
- author
- Madsen, Stine
LU
; Miörner, Johan
LU
and Hansen, Teis
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Agency, Contestation axis, Socio-technical configurations, Socio-technical system, Waste management
- in
- Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions
- volume
- 45
- pages
- 24 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85142224913
- ISSN
- 2210-4224
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.eist.2022.11.001
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 0dfce8dc-538d-4611-ace4-54343317fcb8
- date added to LUP
- 2022-12-01 10:57:14
- date last changed
- 2024-01-18 03:23:32
@article{0dfce8dc-538d-4611-ace4-54343317fcb8,
abstract = {{<p>Research in sustainability transitions increasingly acknowledges that the structural characteristics of socio-technical systems differ. However, little attention has been paid to the specific transition dynamics that can result from this structural variation. In response, this paper develops a framework for studying transition dynamics that takes the structural characteristics of socio-technical systems and their influence on agency into account. We introduce the concept contestation axis to highlight alternative potential interfaces between functional solutions in a socio-technical system. We argue that considerable agency and frictions between actors can play out at other axes than between established regimes and emerging niches. Our conceptual framework is applied to a case study in the waste sector. We explore how the growing influence of the circular economy triggers misalignment between multiple socio-technical configurations in the Danish waste sector. In the case, we zoom in on three actual frictions that have manifested along different contestation axes.</p>}},
author = {{Madsen, Stine and Miörner, Johan and Hansen, Teis}},
issn = {{2210-4224}},
keywords = {{Agency; Contestation axis; Socio-technical configurations; Socio-technical system; Waste management}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{246--269}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions}},
title = {{Axes of contestation in sustainability transitions}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2022.11.001}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.eist.2022.11.001}},
volume = {{45}},
year = {{2022}},
}