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- Albrecht, Martin
(författare)
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Enabling socio-technical transitions – electric vehicles and high voltage electricity grids as focal points of low emission futures
- 2017
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Today humankind is facing numerous sustainability challenges that require us to question CO2 intensive practices like those present in the transport and energy sector. To meet those challenges, many countries have adopted ambitious climate targets. Achieving such targets requires an understanding of the wider socio-technical context of transitions. The aim of this licentiate thesis is therefore to analyse such socio-technical transitions towards low-emission futures enabled by the electrification of passenger cars and high voltage grid development.A combination of different transitions theories (for ex. Multi-level perspective and Technological innovation systems) and institutional theory has been used. To reach the aim paper I analyses the climate impacts of electric vehicles (EVs) and policy measures to achieve a breakthrough scenario for EVs. The results show that a mixture of short and long term policies are needed that take into account the technology development stage and behavioural aspects of EV adopters. Paper II addresses the need to include the high voltage transmission grid and its planning procedures as a central part of debates on transitions. Therefore the opportunities, challenges and reasons for conflict in the established regime are studied. The results show that in order to achieve a sustainable grid development regime, it is necessary to spend time on achieving legitimacy and social sustainability. The third paper uses semi-structured expert interviews and focuses on innovation dynamics for EV adoption. By focusing on dynamics instead of single policy measures, it is possible to grasp interactions within a niche, but also in between a niche, regime and landscape. The results show that strong initial technology legitimacy was needed to start substantial innovation dynamics. This could be further strengthened with a strong and broad coalition of actors. Both those factors led, if present, to an improved variety and match of policy instruments.As such this thesis has shown that transitions are not just about technology or policy instruments as such but about the dynamics and processes needed to enable them. This can be relevant in other transitions that otherwise may underestimate the importance of these components.
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| 3. |
- Unsworth, Samuel John, 1990
(författare)
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Where from and by whom? Tracing academic and practitioner visions of energy systems change related to lower income countries
- 2023
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Dominant agendas of global sustainable development broadly emphasise the urgency of a transition towards an environmentally, socially and economically preferable future. Critical scholars have raised concerns that this transition either produces new environmental, social and economic problems or reproduces those problems of the present system. They call instead for more radical transformations, encapsulating both material change and epistemic pluralism in research related to this. Energy systems are a key domain in which these different conceptualisations of change are discussed. One critical area in which perspectives diverge regards the spatial aspects of how energy systems change is designed and implemented within and between countries. Where do, will or could the drivers of sociotechnical change stem from? Which places are expected to be more beneficiaries than generators of change, and what are the implications of this for ambitions of “sustainability”? The answers to these questions, I argue, depend on how, and from where, these processes of change are envisioned. This licentiate thesis advances this inquiry by exploring how, from where, by whom and for whom energy systems change is envisioned related to lower income countries, with Rwanda as the principal country of focus. This broad landscape is explored through a synthesis of three articles which approach these questions using different theoretical approaches. These articles analyse processes of knowledge production at a global level. They also explore how energy systems change is envisioned by academics from diverse research traditions. They additionally examine actors seeking to facilitate or implement energy systems change at a national and subnational level. Together, my analysis shows that actors who are from, or based in, higher income countries are often envisioned as the principal architects of energy systems change. Common kinds of actors invoked include scientists, donors or private sector companies with an international footprint. Additionally, similar ideas are often articulated by actors who describe themselves as being from lower income countries. A prerequisite for the latter is however that they either are: (1) practitioners working for organisations headquartered in higher income countries, or (2) academics working with theory developed in higher income countries. Alternatives to these visions exist. Such alternatives place a greater emphasis on the role of users as coproducers of change originating from whichever place is envisioned to benefit from change. This licentiate thesis therefore illustrates the need for both academics and practitioners – particularly those based in or from higher income countries and working in relation to lower income countries – to reflect carefully on how they envision the energy systems change which they participate in. This is to avoid locking in assumptions regarding who or what drives change, particularly when change is urgently demanded. I argue that such assumptions risk locking lower income countries such as Rwanda into global circuits of capital on an imbalanced footing. This may reproduce relationships of economic dependence and capital accumulation in higher income countries. The thesis concludes by reflecting where else this thesis may speak to, noting my own analytical focus on the geographic situatedness of knowledge making. I argue that this thesis may be relevant to other locations besides Rwanda (and perhaps even locations in higher income countries) which host encounters between globalised agendas of change emphasising urgency and scale and other possibilities which are more rooted in localised framings of problems and solutions.
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| 4. |
- Norlin, Måns
(författare)
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Communicating visions for urban development : a micro-study of a governance process
- 2014
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis studies the topic of policy making in the context of producing a comprehensive plan. The thesis uses the case of a municipality in Sweden. Contributing to the understanding of how governance processes can be performed, this thesis studies policy making in a collaborative situation. A form of micro-study is used to scrutinize in detail the dialogues between participants. The thesis applies Membership Categorization Analysis and Conversation Analysis to uncover the participants' accomplishments. The approaches reveal a variety of ways the participants perform planning, how visions and strategies are implemented in practice and how participants can reach agreement on planning issues. The study provides planning research with further understanding of the situatedness and epistemology of policy making, and it brings to light the variety of ways participants in policy making can enter and inform discussions, thereby enhancing the level of democracy in governance processes.
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| 5. |
- Jonsson, Robert
(författare)
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Organisationstillblivelse och identitet : en studie av ÖstSam
- 2002
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- "Organisationstillblivelse och identitet - en studie av ÖstSam" är en licentiatavhandling som syftar till att bidra med kunskaper om organisationers tillblivelse i termer av identitet. A v handlingen bygger på en studie av framväxten av organisationen ÖstSam. I tid sträcker sig studien från slutet av 1996 till början av år 2000. Från hösten 1998 har framväxten följts via intervjuer, observationer och dokument.Studien beskriver framväxten av ÖstSam. Vidare tolkas framväxten utifrån identitet som perspektiv. Detta görs genom att vad ÖstSam utvecklats till i termer av identitet presenteras. Hur ÖstSams identitet växt fram beskrivs också. Utifrån fallet ÖstSam och med hjälp av teorier som presenteras, diskuteras hur organisationers tillblivelse kan förstås i termer av identitet. Diskussionen mynnar framförallt ut i att grundarnas intentioner utgör underlag för innehållet i identiteten, vilket har visat sig omtolkas, rekonstrueras, över tiden. Mot bakgrund av detta menar jag att en organisations innehåll och process är förutsättningar för varandra. Båda är viktiga for vad en organisation utvecklas till. Studien visar också att kontexten påverkat utvecklaodet av vilka man är. Verksamhetens art, organisationens geografiska läge samt tid i form av historiskt arv och aktöremas tankar om framtiden för organisationen har varit av betydelse för vad ÖstSam utvecklats till i termer av identitet.
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| 6. |
- Massaro, Maria, 1989
(författare)
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Radio Spectrum Regulation in the European Union A three-level context
- 2017
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In the light of the unprecedented growth of mobile broadband services, radio spectrum regulation is undergoing a substantial review in the European Union (EU). The radio spectrum presents a three-level regulatory context. At international level, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) regulates the allocation of radio spectrum. At regional level, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) promotes cooperation and coordination between European countries. At national level, National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) are responsible for assigning the radio spectrum. In addition, the EU has also the power to regulate the radio spectrum. The EU regulatory framework for radio spectrum has only recently been set up. Therefore, an exhaustive understanding of the role of the EU in the three-level regulatory context of radio spectrum is still lacking.Against this background, the purpose of this thesis is to shed light on the implications of the EU regulatory framework for radio spectrum. In other words, this thesis aims to address the following research question: how does the EU influence the three-level regulatory context of radio spectrum? In order to answer this research question, three academic papers are written, each focusing on the role of the EU in one regulatory level. Paper 1 focuses on the international level. Theories of international relations are employed to assess the effectiveness of the EU in influencing international negotiations on radio spectrum regulation. Paper 2 explores the regional level. Theories of EU integration provide the tools to understand the issue of competence distribution between EU and EU member states in the policy field of radio spectrum. Paper 3 deals with the national level. Theories on the regulation-innovation relation guide the assessment of a specific national regulatory regime, which has been particularly promoted by the EU. Although radio spectrum assignment is a national responsibility, the EU may indirectly impact on the national context by providing EU member states with ideas on innovative regulatory tools.A qualitative research strategy is adopted to conduct the research work described in this thesis. In particular, this research work is characterised by an iterative inductive-deductive process between theory and empirical data, whereby purpose, theoretical framework and data collected progressively and mutually shape one another. This thesis is mainly based on secondary data, retrieved from official documents, reports, news articles, academic papers and books. Backward and forward snowballing techniques are used to systematically find relevant secondary sources of data.This thesis concludes that the EU regulatory framework influences the three regulatory levels of radio spectrum to different extents. Firstly, the EU influences the international level thanks to the presence of the European Commission (EC) in international fora. The EC has the right to attend international negotiations on radio spectrum regulation and can oversee the actions of EU member states. Secondly, the EU impacts on the regional level by promoting harmonised availability of radio spectrum across the EU. To this objective, the EU adopts policy instruments which are legally binding for all EU member states. Furthermore, the EC cooperates with the CEPT in order to build consensus across the EU. Thirdly, the EU’s influence on the national regulatory level is confined to general regulatory principles for radio spectrum assignment. Nevertheless, the EU can still leverage on national regulation, by encouraging EU member states to adopt specific regulatory instruments.Although interesting implications of the EU regulatory framework for radio spectrum are ascertained in this thesis, the influence of the EU on the three-level regulatory context of radio spectrum has not been captured thoroughly. Future research in the form of a more systematic evaluation of the EU’s actorness (Bretherton & Vogler, 2006) is necessary to capture the relevance of the EU’s influence on both the international and regional regulatory levels. In addition, a detailed analysis of the issue of competence distribution between EU and EU member states is critical for better evaluating the extent to which the EU influences radio spectrum regulation at national level.
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| 7. |
- Åberg, Ida, 1989-
(författare)
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Imagining Urban Gardening Space : An Ethnographic Study of Urban Gardening in Sweden
- 2019
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Urban gardening is a phenomenon that increasingly occupies the limited space in cities. In discourse, urban gardening is constructed as a positive element and as something that can build a productive environment in urban areas. However, using urban space for gardening raises questions about the delimitations of public space. This thesis examines the boundaries for gardening practices in urban public space by mapping out the dominant descriptions of the phenomenon and then analyzing how some articulations make it possible for citizens to claim urban space for gardening. The study uses an ethnographic approach and the empirical material includes participant observations at an urban garden in Stockholm as well as articulations found in the media, interviews, and social media posts as well as participant observations at urban gardens, expos and seminars on urban gardening. The theoretical framework is informed by poststructuralist discourse theory, psychoanalysis and critical geography. The main results show that urban gardens renegotiate boundaries of property due to their semi-public character. Furthermore, affective bindings in the garden create a fantasy of an authentic relationship with nature, which gives force to the positive discourse of urban gardening and makes it possible for urban gardens to inhabit urban public space.
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| 8. |
- Wennström, Johan
(författare)
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Market, State, and Morality : Two Studies of How Left and Right Undermined Moral Motivation in the Swedish School System
- 2017
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The bulk of the literature on the New Public Management (NPM) has been blind to the moral dimension of the market-oriented reforms of the public sector. However, this thesis studies the potential for institutional arrangements such as financial incentives and other market mechanisms to undermine intrinsic, moral motivation among both“producers” and “consumers” of tax-financed welfare services. The first paper demonstrates how the promotion of NPM-like ideas by various left-wing and right-wing agents after 1968 led to the erosion of a professional ethos among Swedish teachers. The second paper shows how an ill-conceived school voucher reform in Sweden, implemented under the banner of NPM, has encouraged moral hazard on the part of schools. The thesis demonstrates an ecumenism between the left and right that with few exceptions has been overlooked in political science. It also demonstrates that public administration systems that have adopted market-oriented reforms need morality in order to function in accordance with the principles underlying these institutions.
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| 10. |
- Rebalski, Ella, 1989
(författare)
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Are We There Yet? Combining qualitative and quantitative methods to study the introduction of CAVs in Sweden, and potential travel demand effects.
- 2021
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- By law, Sweden must reach net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 2045. Domestic transportation is one sector in which GHG emissions can be reduced substantially. Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) could potentially help with this and with the transition to a more efficient transportation system, but they could also instead make meeting the target harder. The issues of how CAV technology will be introduced to the general public and what the effects will be are fraught with uncertainty. Thus far, much policy research has been informed by technical, quantitative studies, such as the one in Paper 1 of this licentiate thesis. The study analyses the impact CAVs may have on travel demand. The methodology is based on an induced travel demand model that simulates the effects on Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) related to changes in Value of Travel Time (VoTT) and the cost of CAV technology. In our most conservative scenario—with the smallest change in VoTT and highest CAV cost—we estimate an average increase in travel distance by car of 5% once CAVs are a mature technology on the market, while this increase reaches 61% in the least conservative scenario. Our results also show that income matters: Under certain conditions, those who are able to work remotely and have a relatively high income have a greater economic incentive to purchase a CAV and extend their travel distance. In Paper 2, we identify and map the broader societal drivers and pressures for the introduction of CAVs in cities. The approach taken in the paper has a theoretical basis in transition management and stakeholder theories and uses a combination of the Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, and Response (DPSIR) framework and force field analysis to analyse interview transcripts. Survey data complement this analysis. The results provide in- depth knowledge about how actors in different parts of society perceive the introduction of CAVs and the mechanisms behind the expansion of these vehicles. It is clear from the interviews and survey that CAVs are not seen as unconditionally positive; instead, many stakeholders believe CAVs need to be connected to mobility planning and public transport strategies.
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