Socio-technical regimes and sustainability transitions: insights from political ecology

Lawhon, M., & Murphy, J. T. (2011). Socio-technical regimes and sustainability transitions. Progress in Human Geography, 36(3), 354–378. doi:10.1177/0309132511427960

Platform
Cape Town
Publication type
Scientific article (peer-reviewed)
Projects
Contributing to Urban Debates in South Africa
DOI Title
Socio-technical regimes and sustainability transitions
Journal
Progress in Human Geography
ISSN/ISBN
0309-1325 1477-0288
DOI
10.1177/0309132511427960
Author(s)
Mary Lawhon James T. Murphy
Published year
Subject
Geography, Planning and Development
Tags
environmental governance political ecology socio-technical transition theory sustainability

 

Abstract

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a core focus of geography, linking subfields such as urban, economic, and political ecology, yet strategies for achieving this goal remain illusive. Socio-technical transition theorists have made important contributions to our knowledge of the challenges and possibilities for achieving more sustainable societies, but this body of work generally lacks consideration of the influences of geography and power relations as forces shaping sustainability initiatives in practice. This paper assesses the significance for geographers interested in understanding the space, time, and scalar characteristics of sustainable development of one major strand of socio-technical transition theory, the multi-level perspective on socio-technical regime transitions. We describe the socio-technical transition approach, identify four major limitations facing it, show how insights from geographers – particularly political ecologists – can help address these challenges, and briefly examine a case study (GMO and food production) showing how a refined transition framework can improve our understanding of the social, political, and spatial dynamics that shape the prospects for more just and environmentally sustainable forms of development.

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