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The Role of Repair as a Resource for Resilience : Case Studies on the Effects of Repair Outcomes of Essential Products

Svensson-Hoglund, Sahra ; Nordbeck, Patric LU ; Richter, Jessika Luth LU and Russell, Jennifer D. (2023) 5th Conference on Product Lifetimes and the Environment (PLATE) p.1051-1057
Abstract
In both the US and EU, policymakers and government agencies are acknowledging the
importance of having access to repair options, particularly for vulnerable product users who depend on their products. As such, repair can play an important role as a resource for resilience, but research is missing. We propose that repair can act as a resource for resilience. A comprehensive, structured way to understand this role of repair is needed to: (1) show how repair is a social interest and thereby increase public willingness to overcome current barriers to repair, and; (2) ensure that current policy efforts to increase access to repair succeed at strengthening the resilience of product users.

To test this framing, we use four case... (More)
In both the US and EU, policymakers and government agencies are acknowledging the
importance of having access to repair options, particularly for vulnerable product users who depend on their products. As such, repair can play an important role as a resource for resilience, but research is missing. We propose that repair can act as a resource for resilience. A comprehensive, structured way to understand this role of repair is needed to: (1) show how repair is a social interest and thereby increase public willingness to overcome current barriers to repair, and; (2) ensure that current policy efforts to increase access to repair succeed at strengthening the resilience of product users.

To test this framing, we use four case studies on the breakdown of essential products; laptops in schools, tractors at farms; cell phones in refugee camps, and ventilators at hospitals. Our findings indicate that the conditions under which repair can function as a resource for resilience can be regarded as a span: on one end repair is crucial for continued functioning, due to the lack of other options in the pre-breakage context; on the other end, repair constitutes, compared to other available options, the most beneficial strategy for restoring functionality. Further, the effectiveness of repair as a resource for resilience is determined by the conditions of repair as high vs. low friction. Moreover, we find that while repair constitutes, in itself, a resource for resilience, it also has the potential to act as a gateway to other resources for resilience, such as financial and social. Implications for policy and future research are briefly discussed. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Proceedings of the 5th PLATE Conference
editor
Niinimäki, Kirsi and Cura, Kirsti
pages
7 pages
publisher
Aalto University Publication
conference name
5th Conference on Product Lifetimes and the Environment (PLATE)
conference location
Espoo, Finland
conference dates
2023-05-31 - 2023-06-02
ISBN
978-952-64-1367-9
project
Mapping out and overcoming barriers for circular products: the policy context for corporations that want to “go circular”
Repair as a resource for resilience
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
267451d7-26d8-4d5d-a1bb-4fc37b91be72
alternative location
https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/122687?show=full
date added to LUP
2023-09-11 23:33:52
date last changed
2024-08-27 13:51:18
@inproceedings{267451d7-26d8-4d5d-a1bb-4fc37b91be72,
  abstract     = {{In both the US and EU, policymakers and government agencies are acknowledging the<br/>importance of having access to repair options, particularly for vulnerable product users who depend on their products. As such, repair can play an important role as a resource for resilience, but research is missing. We propose that repair can act as a resource for resilience. A comprehensive, structured way to understand this role of repair is needed to: (1) show how repair is a social interest and thereby increase public willingness to overcome current barriers to repair, and; (2) ensure that current policy efforts to increase access to repair succeed at strengthening the resilience of product users. <br/><br/>To test this framing, we use four case studies on the breakdown of essential products; laptops in schools, tractors at farms; cell phones in refugee camps, and ventilators at hospitals. Our findings indicate that the conditions under which repair can function as a resource for resilience can be regarded as a span: on one end repair is crucial for continued functioning, due to the lack of other options in the pre-breakage context; on the other end, repair constitutes, compared to other available options, the most beneficial strategy for restoring functionality. Further, the effectiveness of repair as a resource for resilience is determined by the conditions of repair as high vs. low friction. Moreover, we find that while repair constitutes, in itself, a resource for resilience, it also has the potential to act as a gateway to other resources for resilience, such as financial and social. Implications for policy and future research are briefly discussed.}},
  author       = {{Svensson-Hoglund, Sahra and Nordbeck, Patric and Richter, Jessika Luth and Russell, Jennifer D.}},
  booktitle    = {{Proceedings of the 5th PLATE Conference}},
  editor       = {{Niinimäki, Kirsi and Cura, Kirsti}},
  isbn         = {{978-952-64-1367-9}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1051--1057}},
  publisher    = {{Aalto University Publication}},
  title        = {{The Role of Repair as a Resource for Resilience : Case Studies on the Effects of Repair Outcomes of Essential Products}},
  url          = {{https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/122687?show=full}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}