39 research outputs found
A discursive perspective on socio-technical sustainability transitions : insights from the German packaging sector
No full textTo secure satisfying and sustainable livelihoods for current and future generations, changing modes of production and consumption are crucial, requiring multi-faceted and deep-structural socio-technical shifts in society. So far, transition research has mainly focused on the technological, institutional, and behavioral side of transitions and explored some promising attempts to include the normative dimension in its analyses as well. Nevertheless, a more structured exchange with interpretative discourse analysis to address the role of discursive elements and dynamics in transitions is missing. Consequently, this dissertation provides a discursive perspective on socio-technical sustainability transitions, using insights from the German packaging sector and its transition towards a sustainable circular economy. Overall, this conceptualization provides insights into the stabilizing and enabling discursive dynamics, shaping the directionality, potential, and disruptiveness of transition processes. In this way, the discursive perspective (1) helps to deconstruct the underlying values and assumptions of a socio-technical configuration, (2) to illuminate discourse sources of resistance that otherwise would have remained hidden, (3) provide a differentiated understanding of the necessary changes for sustainability, and (4) enhance the understanding of the role of incumbent actors in transition processes. Next to these conceptual contributions, the dissertation also offers methodological enhancements and hands-on approaches and tools to assess the normative dimension in transitions. More specifically, (5) it adapted various discursive approaches and tools for a socio-technical setting, (6) guides the analysis of discursive lock-in mechanisms next and in relation to its material, institutional, and behavioral counterparts, and (7) presents an approach to assess the potential and disruptiveness of current and future interventions for sustainability. Empirically, this dissertation provides various insights and explanations for the gap between ambition and practice of transition processes in the German packaging sector, disentangling the complex dynamics and providing an extensive knowledge base on the variety of actors, core problems, visions, and proposed interventions. Based on these findings, the dissertation holds three implications necessary for successful transition-making in the German packaging sector and beyond. To achieve a transition towards a sustainable circular economy, (1) discussions on the desired directionality of this transition need to be enabled, (2) interventions need to be targeted at overcoming resistance to change, and (3) shift their focus from shallow to deep system change
Unpacking pathways to a circular economy: a study of packaging innovations in Germany
No full textThe transition to a circular economy is a major goal for the German packaging sector, however, the pathway towards this goal remains unclear. This situation is also reflected in the variety of packaging innovations currently being developed by industry actors. This study contributes to this debate by (1) providing a comprehensive overview of the sustainable packaging innovations currently being developed; (2) analyzing the transition pathway narratives underpinning these innovations; and (3) outlining the overlaps, tensions and shortcomings of these pathways for a successful circular economy transition. As such, this provides an empirical basis for a more informed and reflexive understanding of current and future transition processes in the German packaging sector and for discussing the desirability of currently ongoing transition pathways
Discursive dynamics and lock-ins in socio-technical systems : an overview and a way forward
No full textUnderstanding the dynamics of stability and change is key to accelerate sustainability transitions. This paper aims to advance and inspire sustainability transition research on this matter by collecting insights from interpretative environmental discourse literature. We develop a heuristic that identifies and describes core discursive elements and dynamics in a socio-technical system. In doing so, we show how the interplay of meta-, institutionalized, and alternative discourses, dominant, marginal, and radical narratives, as well as weak and strong discursive agency influence the socio-technical configuration. The heuristic suggests three discursive lock-ins reinforcing the stabilization of socio-technical systems: unchallenged values and assumptions, incumbents’ discursive agency, and narrative co-optation. Furthermore, it explores three pathways of discursive change: disruptive, dynamic and cross-sectoral. Overall, this paper puts forward a discursive perspective on sustainability transitions. It offers additional analytical approaches and concepts for discursive transition studies, elaborated insights on the dynamics within and between the analytical dimensions of a socio-technical system, as well as a theoretical baseline for analyzing discursive lock-in mechanisms and pathways of discursive change
Trading radical for incremental change: The politics of a circular economy transition in the german packaging sector
No full textTrading Radical for Incremental Change: The Politics of a Circular Economy Transition in the German Packaging Sector
No full textUnderstanding environmental politics is crucial for sustainability transitions. We study the transition politics of the shift to a circular economy in the German packaging sector, particularly the curious case of the 2019 German Packaging Act. While the policy was born out of the unanimous wish for radical regulatory change, all actors evaluate the outcome as incremental. Following the Discursive Agency Approach and drawing upon actor interviews and documents, we show that actors’ perceived fears of radical changes are critical for transition politics. This fear created a lock-in of two narratives, proposing conflicting organizational designs of packaging waste management. While the narrative lock-in was resolved by trading radical for incremental change, it left many conflicts and challenges unresolved. Our findings suggest that actors’ fears not only prevent radical regulatory change but also create incremental change that may intensify unresolved conflicts and, thus, further weaken the actors’ capacities for future transition politics
Locked in unsustainability : Understanding lock-ins and their interactions using the case of food packaging
No full textLock-in mechanisms are major hurdles to sustainability transitions. Scholars identified various types of lock-ins; however, their dynamics and interactions remain underexplored. Using the case of food packaging, this study enhances the conceptual understanding and empirical analysis of lock-ins and their interactions from a socio-technical perspective. We analyze the material, institutional, behavioral, and discursive configuration and the shallow and deep lock-ins reinforcing the persistent dominance of single-use over reusable food packaging in Germany. Additionally, we explore the lock-in interactions both within and between the socio-technical elements. Hence, we introduce archetypical interlock-ins and lock-in clusters pointing to core trends of resistance towards reusable packaging alternatives. This study advances the lock-in concept for future socio-technical analyses while guiding the illumination of the complex dynamics of stability, the assessment of current sustainability transition interventions, and the search for potential unlocking strategies to enable change
Use of economic evaluation in decision making: evidence and recommendations for improvement
No full textInformation about the value for money of a medicine as derived from an economic evaluation can be used for decision-making purposes by policy makers, healthcare payers, healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies. This article illustrates the use of economic evaluation by decision makers and formulates a number of recommendations to enhance the use of such evaluations for decision-making purposes. Over the last decades, there has been a substantial increase in the number of economic evaluations assessing the value for money of medicines. Economic evaluation is used by policy makers and healthcare payers to inform medicine pricing/reimbursement decisions in more and more countries. It is a suitable tool to evaluate medicines and to present information about their value for money to decision makers in a familiar format. In order to fully exploit the use of economic evaluation for decision-making purposes, researchers need to take care to conduct such economic evaluations according to methodologically sound principles. Additionally, researchers need to take into account the decision-making context. They need to identify the various objectives that decision makers pursue and discuss how decision makers can use study findings to attain these objectives. These issues require further attention from researchers, policy makers, healthcare payers, healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies with a view to optimizing the use of economic evaluation in decision making.sponsorship: Financial support for this research project was received from Pharma.be, the Belgian association of the innovative pharmaceutical industry. The sponsor was not involved in the study design; the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; the writing of the manuscript; or the decision to submit the paper for publication. The author has no conflicts of interest that are relevant to the content of this manuscript. (Pharma.be, the Belgian association of the innovative pharmaceutical industry)status: Publishe
Utilisation des réseaux sociaux pour la conception urbaine et architecturale
No full textpeer reviewedthe article focuses on the analysis of new digital media, in particular the socionumeric platforms such as Facebook, Twitter..., writing on these platforms and their impact on architectural or urban projects. In order to deconstruct these new processes of information and data made easily available to the authors of projects, we work from theories allowing to give value (meaning) to writing according to the context in which it is written and materializing in the form of powerful citizen or individual commitments. We are looking for the keys of analysis allowing to pass from an opinion of influence to an analysis of recurrent commitments to be the object of collective stakes. These different approaches of reading the media/medias crossed with the territory and its collective commitments allow us to develop a method of analysis of the stakes involved in the advent of a new project on the scale of a district or a piece of city. Its ambition is to offer any project author (rarely a data scientist) to offer any project author an appropriate approach that is more within his or her reach while being in phase with the digital reality that transcends the traditional approach to project design.11. Sustainable cities and communities17. Partnerships for the goal
Discursive dynamics and lock-ins in socio-technical systems [Elektronisk resurs] : an overview and a way forward
No full textUnderstanding the dynamics of stability and change is key to accelerate sustainability transitions. This paper aims to advance and inspire sustainability transition research on this matter by collecting insights from interpretative environmental discourse literature. We develop a heuristic that identifies and describes core discursive elements and dynamics in a socio-technical system. In doing so, we show how the interplay of meta-, institutionalized, and alternative discourses, dominant, marginal, and radical narratives, as well as weak and strong discursive agency influence the socio-technical configuration. The heuristic suggests three discursive lock-ins reinforcing the stabilization of socio-technical systems: unchallenged values and assumptions, incumbents’ discursive agency, and narrative co-optation. Furthermore, it explores three pathways of discursive change: disruptive, dynamic and cross-sectoral. Overall, this paper puts forward a discursive perspective on sustainability transitions. It offers additional analytical approaches and concepts for discursive transition studies, elaborated insights on the dynamics within and between the analytical dimensions of a socio-technical system, as well as a theoretical baseline for analyzing discursive lock-in mechanisms and pathways of discursive change
