Using Practice Theories for the Study of Social Change
| Dates: | 26 March 2014 |
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| Times: | 16:00 - 17:30 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | Sustainable Consumption Institute |
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| Speaker: | Professor Gert Spaargaren |
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Abstract
Practice Theories are becoming rather prominent in the field of sustainable consumption. They form a ‘family of theories’ that share some basic assumptions, among which the critique on individualist (rational choice) models of change and the idea of structure or context as ‘external’ to social practices. As an alternative to ‘voluntarist’ and ‘determinist’ models of social change, practice theory offers the radical idea of studying changes in practices with the help of a ‘flat ontology’ that refuses to prioritize either agency or structure. For the further development of practice theories it is important to show how they can be applied in empirical research on social change. In this seminar, the use of practice theory in empirical research on food and energy will be discussed.
Speaker
Professor Gert Spaargaren
Role: Professor of Environmental Policy of Sustainable Lifestyles & Consumption
Organisation: Wageningen University
Biography: Gert Spaargaren is Senior Researcher and Professor of Environmental Policy for Sustainable Lifestyles and Consumption in the Environmental Policy Group at Wageningen University. His main research interests are in environmental sociology, sustainable consumption and behavior, and globalization of environmental reform. He has coordinated a number of research programs on sustainable consumption, and recently started a project on emerging social practices in smart energy grids. He has coordinated a number of research programs on sustainable consumption, and recently started a project on emerging social practices in smart energy grids. His work has appeared in Global Environmental Change, Environmental Politics, Society and Natural Resources, Organization and Environment, Sociologia Ruralis amongst other journals.
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
Room 10.08
Harold Hankins Building
