Theorizing power in transition studies: the role of creativity and novel practices in structural change

Hoffman, Jesse

doi:10.1007/s11077-013-9173-2

Cited by 71 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…While power is not a key component of most transitions studies, attention to this theme has grown in the last five years. Hoffman (2013), for instance, examines the ways that power itself is transformed in the process of a transition, through creativity that triggers novel responses beyond the habitual. Avelino and Rotmans (2011) develop a conceptual reframing of power that is helpful in the context of sustainability studies, and that adds the dimensions of dynamism and nonlinear change that are so central to transitions.…”

Section: Fundingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Triggering transformative change: a development path approach to climate change response in communities

et al. 2014

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While climate change action plans are becoming more common, it is still unclear whether communities have the capacity, tools, and targets in place to trigger the transformative levels of change required to build fundamentally low-carbon, resilient, healthy communities. Evidence increasingly supports the finding that this transformation is not triggered by climate policy alone, but rather is shaped by a broad array of decisions and practices that are rooted in underlying patterns of development. Even so, these findings have rarely penetrated the domain of practice, which often remains squarely focused on a relatively narrow set of climatespecific policies. This article builds a conceptual framework for understanding the dynamics of community-level development path transformations that may both dramatically reduce GHG emissions and significantly enhance community resilience. This framework illuminates eight critical enablers of innovation on climate change, each of which is illustrated by compelling examples of community-level experimentation on climate change across the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is concluded that community-based climate (or sustainability) policy might be more likely to trigger development path shifts if it employs a longer time horizon, recognition of adaptability and feedbacks, integrated decision making, and systems thinking. Policy relevance:This article deepens the understanding of the underlying drivers of both GHG emissions and vulnerability to climate change impacts. A development path framing of climate change responses suggests that highly nonlinear opportunities may emerge to push drivers of emissions or vulnerability over a tipping point and trigger a shift that cascades beyond the community in which the initial action took place. The findings highlight the need for policy approaches that use longer time horizons, systems thinking, adaptive management, and integrated decision making in community planning.

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Section: Fundingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Triggering transformative change: a development path approach to climate change response in communities

et al. 2014

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“…by Meadowcroft, 2011) -and what was actually already present in the original transitions literature, is politics and the opposition by the existing regime (Avelino & Wittmayer, 2015;Grin, 2010; see also Raven, 2012). Avelino (2011), Turnheim and Geels (2012), Hoffman (2013, Geels (2014), and Avelino and Wittmayer (2015), amongst others in the area of transition research therefore furthered the research on power relations and they emphasize the importance of power and politics again. In these recent works, the importance of power struggles and power relations between the different actors involved in the transition to sustainability are underlined.…”

Section: Innovation Research and The Importance Of Power And Oppositionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…And how can these more powerful groups or individuals be convinced to support the social innovation? The work by Hoffman (2013) and Avelino and Wittmayer (2015) provides an excellent starting point for this line of research to identify power relations among relevant actors. However, the relevant social groups, and therewith the relevant power relations, for social innovations differ from those of (socio-)technological systems.…”

Section: Power and Opposition In Social Innovation (Research)mentioning

confidence: 99%

On the importance of power struggles in the diffusion of social innovations

Hölsgens

2016

EPSIR

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Diffusion of social innovations has become a key theme in social innovation research. In this paper I argue that the importance of power relations and opposition against social innovations should receive a more central position in this line of research. Using detours to the related fields of Science and Technology Studies and Transition Studies, the significance of (shifting) power relations in the diffusion of innovations is underlined. Through a historical case study on the institutionalisation/diffusion of women's suffrage in the Netherlands it is shown that power struggles and shifting power relations are also key for the successful diffusion of a social innovation. With this paper I aim to bring power and empowerment to the agenda of social innovation researchers.

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“…For example, Avelino (2017) emphasizes different power 'sources' that can be operationalized to exercise power in her Power in Transitions (POINT) framework. Hoffman (2013) highlights the agency of transitions actors, with a specific focus on their capacity for creative experimentation. In Tyfield's (2014) work on mobility transitions, he focuses on power as productive capacity that is shaped by, and shapes, the nature of the dominant regime.…”

Section: A Framework For the Study Of Political Power In Renewable Enmentioning

confidence: 99%

Powershifts: A framework for assessing the growing impact of decentralized ownership of energy transitions on political decision-making

Brisbois

2019

Energy Research & Social Science

103

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Theorizing power in transition studies: the role of creativity and novel practices in structural change

Cited by 71 publications

References 30 publications

Triggering transformative change: a development path approach to climate change response in communities

Triggering transformative change: a development path approach to climate change response in communities

On the importance of power struggles in the diffusion of social innovations

Powershifts: A framework for assessing the growing impact of decentralized ownership of energy transitions on political decision-making

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