The present historical moment may seem a particularly inopportune time to review Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam's latest exploration of civic decline in America. After all, the outpouring of volunteerism, solidarity, patriotism, and self-sacrifice displayed by Americans in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks appears to fly in the face of Putnam's central argument: that \"social capital\" -defined as \"social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them\" (p. 19)'has declined to dangerously low levels in America over the last three decades. However, Putnam is not fazed in the least by the recent effusion of solidarity. Quite the contrary, he sees in it the potential to \"reverse what has been a 30to 40-year steady decline in most measures of connectedness or community.\"' As an example of how the current \"war on terrorism\" could generate a durable civic renewal, Putnam points to the burst in civic practices that occurred during and after World War II, which he says \"permanently marked\" the generation that lived through it and had a \"terrific effect on American public life over the last half-century.\" 3 If Americans can follow this example and channel their current civic

Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community

https://ris.utwente.nl/ws/files/6761018/Geels02technological.pdf

Technological transitions as evolutionary reconfiguration processes: a multi-level perspective and a case-study

Typology of sociotechnical transition pathways

The talk with present the key results of the IPCC Working Group III 5th assessment report. Concluding four years of intense scientific collaboration by hundreds of authors from around the world, the report responds to the request of the world's governments for a comprehensive, objective and policy neutral assessment of the current scientific knowledge on mitigating climate change. The report has been extensively reviewed by experts and governments to ensure quality and comprehensiveness.

Climate change 2014 - Mitigation of climate change

http://seg.fsu.edu/Library/From%20sectoral%20systems%20of%20innovation%20to%20socio-technical%20systems,%20Insights.pdf

From sectoral systems of innovation to socio-technical systems: Insights about dynamics and change from sociology and institutional theory

This article critically discusses the state of STS, expressing feelings of discontent regarding four aspects: policy relevance, conceptual language, too much focus on complexity, theoretical styles. Middle range theory is proposed as an alternative, promising avenue. Middle range theories focus on delimited topics, make explicit efforts to combine concepts, and search for abstracted patterns and explanatory mechanisms. The article presents achievements in that direction for technology dynamics, particularly with regard to the role of expectations, niche theory and radical innovation, and the multi-level perspective on sociotechnical transitions.

/pdf/feelings-of-discontent-and-the-promise-of-middle-range-4ux4bupspx.pdf

Feelings of Discontent and the Promise of Middle Range Theory for STS Examples from Technology Dynamics

In tandem with the call for more careful, thoughtful, reflexive thinking on the topic of energy transitions, in this paper we attempt to unpack some of the themes advanced in this Debate. We begin by investigating the multi-dimensionality of energy transitions as well as transition speeds for different parts of energy systems at different scales. We then call on analysts to consider transition speeds and scalar levels. We also argue for focusing on accelerated diffusion driven by rapid changes in cost, improvements in technology, or other factors.

/pdf/further-reflections-on-the-temporality-of-energy-transitions-g0nay43bzm.pdf

Further reflections on the temporality of energy transitions: a response to critics

The transformation of existing systems is an underexposed topic in large technical systems (LTS) research. Most LTS research has focused on the emergence and stabilization of systems, ending with momentum. But how is momentum overcome, and how do transformations come about? This article presents a multilevel perspective to understand such transformations, using insights from STS and evolutionary economics. The multilevel perspective is illustrated with a longitudinal case study of the Dutch highway system (1950 to 2000).

/pdf/transformations-of-large-technical-systems-a-multi-level-f45tmi0fm4.pdf

Transformations of large technical systems: A multi-level analysis of the Dutch highway system (1950-2000)

Carbon pricing is often presented as the primary policy approach to address climate change. We challenge this position and offer “sustainability transition policy” (STP) as an alternative. Carbon pricing has weaknesses with regard to five central dimensions: 1) problem framing and solution orientation, 2) policy priorities, 3) innovation approach, 4) contextual considerations, and 5) politics. In order to address the urgency of climate change and to achieve deep decarbonization, climate policy responses need to move beyond market failure reasoning and focus on fundamental changes in existing sociotechnical systems such as energy, mobility, food, and industrial production. The core principles of STP can help tackle this challenge.



Many are eager to take more substantive policy steps to address climate change, but pricing carbon pricing alone won’t be sufficient. Image credit: Shutterstock/Shawn Goldberg.



Realizing deep decarbonization at the pace necessary to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change has emerged as a pressing challenge for policymakers (1). As a result, the debate about appropriate policy responses has intensified. Many experts and societal actors see carbon pricing as the primary way forward (2⇓–4). Some even use it to argue against other policies, such as fuel efficiency standards. Viewed as the most efficient approach to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, carbon pricing incentivizes actors to seek the lowest-cost abatement options for their specific circumstances. Consequently, many economists argue that carbon pricing should be the cornerstone of a climate policy response.

We question this reasoning. Carbon pricing faces five major issues that limit its use for accelerating deep decarbonization. First, carbon pricing frames climate change as a market failure rather than as a fundamental system problem. Second, it places particular weight on efficiency as opposed to effectiveness. Third, it tends to stimulate the optimization of existing systems rather than transformation. Fourth, it … 

[↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: daniel.rosenbloom{at}utoronto.ca.

 [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1

https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/117/16/8664.full.pdf

Opinion: Why carbon pricing is not sufficient to mitigate climate change-and how "sustainability transition policy" can help.

This important book addresses how long term and large scale shifts from one socio-technical system to another come about, using insights from evolutionary economics, sociology of technology and innovation studies These major changes involve not just technological changes, but also changes in markets, regulation, culture, industrial networks and infrastructure

Frank W. Geels

Papers

Feelings of Discontent and the Promise of Middle Range Theory for STS Examples from Technology Dynamics

Further reflections on the temporality of energy transitions: a response to critics

Transformations of large technical systems: A multi-level analysis of the Dutch highway system (1950-2000)

Opinion: Why carbon pricing is not sufficient to mitigate climate change-and how "sustainability transition policy" can help.

Technological Transitions and System Innovations