Scientific publications
Sahakian, M., Moynat, O., Senn, W., & Moreau, V. (2023). How social practices inform the future as method : Describing personas in an energy transition while engaging with teleoaffectivities. Futures, 148, 103133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2023.103133; PDF format a to download available HERE
In the sociology of expectations, the future is seen as performative in the present: how energy futures are imagined has consequences for how the energy transition might be enacted today. This contribution discusses the conceptual and methodological work undertaken to develop personas from the future, on their way to the policy aim of so-called ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050 in Switzerland. Social practice theoretical reflections contribute in three ways: conceptually, in recognizing the future orientation of teleoaffectivities; methodologically, for describing personas engaged in future practices; and towards reflexivity, in how imagining futures might affect social practices today. Moving from policy-relevant to practice-oriented energy scenarios is described as an iterative process that involves different stages of consultation. The process is not without tensions, calling into question how change is understood, and revealing the strengths and limits of trans- and inter-disciplinary approaches. A social practice-based approach provided a method for rich descriptions of futures, moving beyond changes to technologies that are ubiquitous in energy scenarios, to also include changes in meanings and competencies, as well as broader socio-cultural dynamics. The treatment of the social energy futures in cartoon form and through storytelling also allowed for a more compelling and engaging representation of the future, which might affect teleoaffectivities in the present.
KAMEL, Heba Tarek Mohamed. Empowering Citizens in the Energy Transition: unraveling responsibility through discussing sociotechnical imaginaries with civil society - Narrating energy consumption around food, work & urban mobility domains in 2035 in Switzerland. 2023.; version PDF à télécharger ICI.
This thesis explores how involving citizens in sociotechnical imaginaries focused on everyday practices can lead citizens to assess responsibility attribution in the context of the energy transition in Switzerland. Currently, sociotechnical imaginaries are largely based on technocentric narratives rarely involving ordinary citizens, posing a threat to social justice.
Incorporating data from focus group discussions conducted in Basel and Geneva as part of the Wellbeing, Energy Futures and Everyday Life (WEFEL) project and using qualitative methods for the analysis, this thesis demonstrates that discussing future practices concerning food, work, and urban mobility highlights the necessary systems of provision for today and the immediate future. These findings align with scientific research by the IPCC on potential mitigation efforts. Moreover, this thesis argues that engaging in discussions concerning future imaginaries that focus on everyday practices helps participants recognize the collective nature of responsibility, equipping citizens with the knowledge and expertise to identify situations where policies or discourse could disproportionately burden them and when policies encourage responsibility, contributing to distributional and procedural justice.
Keywords: Sociotechnical imaginaries, WEFEL, energy transition, collective responsibility, systems of provisions, Switzerland