| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Ahlborg, Helene, 1980, et al.
(författare)
-
Ecology and sociotechnical systems research – motivations for theoretical and methodological integration across fields
- 2017
-
Ingår i: International Sustainability Transitions conference 2017.
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Currently, we are witnessing a number of global trends that do not promise well for the future. Accelerating climate change, loss of biodiversity, chemical pollution, disappearance of natural forest and degradation of fishing grounds and agricultural lands are just a few of the serious environmental problems that threaten the functional and structural integrity of ecosystems, to an extent that also human societies risk collapse. The scale of human impact is now such that scholars suggest that we live in the Anthropocene. The trends are driven by several linked factors, which are not easily disentangled into manageable specific problems to be solved by specific policies. More than ever, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations are needed in order to address these urgent challenges. The objective of this paper is to argue for the importance of research on socio-technical-ecological systems (STES) rather than social-ecological (SES) and sociotechnical systems (STS) separately. Hence, we address researchers in both the social-ecological and sociotechnical fields. We organize the argument around six reasons why “technology” should be integrated into SES studies. We call these reasons: (1) the interface and mediation aspect, (2) ambivalence, (3) the agency aspect, (4) the question of scale, (5) the question of governance and politics, and (6) the question of epistemology and framing. We also highlight potential conceptual conflicts and mistranslations. Our discussion is primarily a theoretical argument, exemplified with empirical examples.Among the conceptual challenges, we note that SES scholars, if they consider technology in their analyses, generally treat it as an exogenous factor or as a passive background element. Similarly, STS scholars tend to neglect ecological dynamics and refer to the ecological domain mainly in terms of inputs and outputs, e.g. natural resources, environmental and health problems caused by human activities. In light of the discussion, we conclude that the importance of collaborating across the two fields goes beyond each field adding pieces together. We argue that integration and translation across these domains will lead to qualitative change in the theoretical and methodological approaches of both fields; and that technology, society and ecology should be given symmetric analytical attention.
|
|
| 3. |
- Berlin, Cecilia, 1981, et al.
(författare)
-
Change Agent Infrastructure (CHAI) – a Stakeholder Analysis Tool for Ergonomics- and Work Environment- Related Change Projects
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 2194-5365 .- 2194-5357. ; 498:2017, s. 715-726
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper is a short communication introducing a novel method forstakeholder analysis, Change Agent Infrastructure (CHAI). The method isspecifically developed in the context of ergonomics/work environment-relatedchange projects and is meant for early stages of change projects. It mapspotential stakeholders against eight distinct “roles” that have been found inprevious research to facilitate or hinder workplace change. Mapping the“decision dilemmas” that stakeholders may face, as well as identifying over- orunderrepresented roles, may benefit the change project in terms of determininginformation needs and how the project team should be staffed. The method hasbeen iteratively developed and tested in educational and research projects. Themethod is visual, participative and helps to clarify the various participants’understanding of the change at hand and what it means for them – thiscontributes positively to information strategies and decisions that facilitates theplanning and execution of a sustainable change.
|
|
| 4. |
- Ahlborg, Helene, 1980
(författare)
-
Towards a conceptualization of power in energy transitions
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. - : Elsevier BV. - 2210-4224. ; 25, s. 122-141
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The field of sustainability transitions has recently benefitted from efforts by multiple scholars at better conceptualizing power and politics, and integrating insights from other fields. This article argues for an understanding of power as relational, productive, contingent and situated. I conceptualize power to the aim of understanding and explaining how and where power relations become de/stabilized in energy transitions in poor rural communities. An understanding of power as a relational capacity to act is integrated with a sociotechnical and relational understanding of constitutive power, which enables us to explore the co-production of social relations, technology and nature. The resulting conceptualization is applied to a case of mini-hydropower electrification in Tanzania. I find that electrification simultaneously reinforces social inequality and enhances social mobility. I identify material, symbolic and discursive domains that work as sources of de/stabilization of social hierarchies, producing effects on the system configuration and relations of class and gender.
|
|
| 5. |
- Andersson, Claes, 1973, et al.
(författare)
-
Wickedness and the anatomy of complexity
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Futures. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-3287. ; 95, s. 118-138
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traditional scientific policy approaches and tools are increasingly seen as inadequate, or even counter-productive, for many purposes. In response to these shortcomings, a new wave of approaches has emerged based on the idea that societal systems are irreducibly complex. The new categories that are thereby introduced – like “complex” or “wicked” – suffer, however, by a lack of shared understanding. We here aim to reduce this confusion by developing a meta-ontological map of types of systems that have the potential to “overwhelm us”: characteristic types of problems, attributions of function, manners of design and governance, and generating and maintaining processes and phenomena. This permits us, in a new way, to outline an inner anatomy of the motley collection of system types that we tend to call “complex”. Wicked problems here emerge as the product of an ontologically distinct and describable type of system that blends dynamical and organizational complexity. The framework is intended to provide systematic meta-theoretical support for approaching complexity and wickedness in policy and design. We also points to a potential causal connection between innovation and wickedness as a basis for further theoretical improvement.
|
|
| 6. |
- Andersson, Sofie, 1991, et al.
(författare)
-
All Doors Lead to the Kitchen – Sustainability and Wellbeing Challenges in a Shared Centrepiece of Living
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 2194-5365 .- 2194-5357. ; 876, s. 111-116
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The kitchen figures a central place in the home where a significant share of a household’s resource consumption takes place. Sharing the kitchen between multiple households has potential to bring positive sustainability effects due to more efficient use of both material resources and energy. The concept of shared kitchens has, however, thus far had a limited diffusion. This paper explores the potential of shared kitchens as a future sustainable living environment by studying user experiences from a Living Lab setting. It builds the base for an overarching larger European collaboration on how future shared kitchens should be designed in order to support everyday practices while optimising the conditions for achieving positive impact on both sustainability and wellbeing. Findings are presented from five focus areas concerning different use contexts: (1) accessing, (2) cooking, (3) living and socialising, (4) storing, and (5) cleaning.
|
|
| 7. |
- Berlin, Cecilia, 1981, et al.
(författare)
-
Prerequisites and Conditions for Socially Sustainable Manufacturing in Europe’s Future Factories – results overview from the SO SMART Project
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 2194-5365 .- 2194-5357. ; 490, s. 319-330
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper provides an overview of the EU project SO SMART(Socially Sustainable Manufacturing for the Factories of the Future), acoordinated support action (CSA) project. SO SMART examined the conditionsin Europe for creating socially sustainable workplaces in the manufacturingsector, where factories flourish along with their social environment. The projectwas international (with partners from five countries), multidisciplinary andparticipatory, involving participation of several science domain experts and awider community of academic and industry beneficiaries who participated inpanels, workshops, conference events and an online forum created specificallyfor the project.
|
|
| 8. |
- Bosch-Sijtsema, Petra, 1971, et al.
(författare)
-
Professional development of the BIM actor role
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Automation in Construction. - : Elsevier BV. - 0926-5805. ; 97, s. 44-51
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The implementation of building information modeling (BIM) has resulted in the development of new roles for BIM actors, but few empirical studies have been conducted on how these roles develop professionally. The present study investigates the professional development of the BIM actor and how this role is perceived by BIM actors and non-BIM actors in Sweden. The study uses a questionnaire (N=342) in eight companies, comprised of contractors, architects, and clients. The BIM and non-BIM actors were compared on similarities and significant differences in their characteristics, tasks, experience, education, and barriers to the role’s development. We found that BIM actors perceive their role, characteristics, tasks and education as coordinating and driving change. However, non-BIM actors perceive the BIM actor role as focusing more on technical skills than on softer skills. The perceptions of the two groups indicate possible tensions toward the future professional development of the BIM actor role.
|
|
| 9. |
- Brauer, Rene, et al.
(författare)
-
The impact of tourism research
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Annals of Tourism Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0160-7383 .- 1873-7722. ; 77, s. 64-78
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The exceedingly competitive climate of academia has increased the emphasis on performance-based research funding. In this paper we evaluate the UK's government assessment of research impact and critically comment upon the implications for future research conduct. The key findings are as follows; firstly we provide a summary of UK tourism research impact. Secondly, we demonstrate the effect of the resulting significance gap, and comment upon the consequences of the Research Excellence Frameworks' (REF) research impact assessment in terms of a research culture change. Lastly, we proposition that the current assessment structure can have negative long-term consequences in that key issues facing tourism fall outside 'good' research impact.
|
|
| 10. |
- Ekman, Karin, 1971, et al.
(författare)
-
Enabling interaction and engagement to pursue behaviour change in Citizen Science initiatives
- 2019
-
Ingår i: CitSci2019.
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Some Citizen Science (CS) initiatives wish to contribute to behavioural change, e.g. transformative lifestyle changes and community or civic action (Shirk et al., 2012; Phillips et al., 2018). At the same time, social media give individuals the opportunity to find others seeking the same common goals and to mobilize support or movement against injustices or for policy change as collective action. The collective action space model (Flannigan et al, 2006) focus on modes of interaction and engagement when describing how collective action is emerging and how it varies with new possibilities of engagement. Using personal interaction and entrepreneurial engagement to promote action, in this case as behavioural change, is well in line with the findings by e.g. Jordan et al. (2011) and Ballard and Belsky (2010). By applying contemporary CS frameworks on participation and outcomes combined with research on collective action, we examine how an environmental monitoring and internet-of-things project with public and private partners is reasoning about activities and potential behavioural outcomes. We used qualitative methods to study the planning of passive environmental sensing of particulate matter through citizen science practices. Data was collected through participant observation and transcripts of recorded meetings were analyzed using thematic analysis. Preliminary findings on participant activity in the associated social media community were also used. In this study, we demonstrate how project members reason about interactions, engagement and behavioural outcomes (as defined by Phillips et al., 2018)in the planning process. The project goals are to be a testbed for sensors and to contribute to better public health through informed decisions and changing everyday travel behaviours. We describe how the project is organizing for having a relationship with the participants through a written agreement to achieve desired outcomes and impacts. They talk about e.g. data quality, protocols and are also preparing for participants acting in their community on elevated levels of particulate matter. The activities and outputs of the project are strictly technical and do not promote behavioural change. Still, the use of a social media community could open up for participants to interact and engage further, but we found that the participants only engaged in line with the activities promoted by the project (e.g organizing own workshops to build more sensors and engaging in peer support). Little to no evidence of transformative lifestyle changes or community or civic action was found. We discuss these findings in relation to contemporary frameworks by examining how the expected participant interactions and engagement align with the behavioural outcomes discussed when planning the project. Since participants do not seem to act outside of what is afforded them by the project, we argue that the activities designed by projects need to promote behavioural change in order for the participants to take positive action accordingly (other than protocol activities or the like). We suggest that there is a need to define and elaborate on expected participant interactions and engagement in the careful planning and monitoring of behavioural outcomes in order to enhance the possibilities to reach them.
|
|
