A Critical Approach to the Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Infrastructures : Going Beyond Green Growth and Sustainability

This book provides a critical approach to research on the social acceptance of renewable energy infrastructures and on energy transitions in general by questioning prevalent principles and proposing specific research pathways and lines of inquiry that look beyond depoliticised, business-as-usual discourses and research agendas on green growth and sustainability. It brings together authors from different socio-geographical and disciplinary backgrounds within the social sciences to reflect upon, discuss and advance what we propose to be five cornerstones of a critical approach: overcoming individualism and socio-cognitivism; repoliticisations recognising and articulating power relations; for interdisciplinarity; interventions praxis and political engagement with research; and overcoming localism and spatial determinism: As such, this book offers academics, students and practitioners alike a comprehensive perspective of what it means to be critical when inquiring into the social acceptance of renewable energy and associated infrastructures. publisher A critical approach to the social acceptance of renewable energy infrastructures Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures Notes on Contributors Part I: Introduction Chapter 1: A Critical Approach to the Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Infrastructures Introduction Structure and Content References Part II: Overcoming Individualism and Socio-Cognitive Reductionism Chapter 2: Strategies for Integrating Quantitative Methods into Critical Social Acceptance Research Introduction Methods Beyond Methodological Individualism Engaging with Place and Materiality Looking Relationally Exploring Situated Norms Beyond Likert Questions Forcing Trade-offs Using Vignettes and Scenarios Enquiring About Emotions Discussion and Conclusion References Chapter 3: Using a Critical Approach to Unpack the Visual-Spatial Impacts of Energy Infrastructures What Is in the Visual Impact of Renewable Energy and Associated Technologies? Anchoring and Objectification Illustrating Anchoring and Objectification of the Visual-Spatial Impact of RET and People’s Responses Visual-Spatial Impact as Landscape Traditions Visual-Spatial Impact as Project-Place Fit Visual-Spatial Impact as Physical Appearance Conclusions and Discussion References Part III: Repoliticisations—Recognising and Articulating Power Relations Chapter 4: Getting Used to It, But ...? Rethinking the Elusive U-Curve of Acceptance and Post-Construction Assumptions Introduction Temporality within Social Acceptance Research The Elusive U-Curve What ‘Getting Used to it, but ...’ May Hide? From Preemptive Acceptance to Prefiguration Conclusions References Chapter 5: Does Renewable Energy Exist? Fossil Fuel+ Technologies and the Search for Renewable Energy Introduction Organizing Delusion: Centuries of “Progress” Situating “Renewable” Extractive Violence The Extractive Cost of “Renewables” Sustainable Violence: There Is no Such Thing as Renewable Energy Conclusion References Part IV: For Interdisciplinarity Chapter 6: ANT Perspective on Wind Power Planning and Social Acceptance—A Call for Interdisciplinarity Introduction: Opening Black-Boxed ‘Facts’ of Landscapes, Resources and Stakeholders Snapshot 1: The Making of a Landscape and a Site Snapshot 2: The Making of an Energy Resource Snapshot 3: The Making of Stakeholders and Stakes Conclusion: Emergence, Agency and Dynamics Contributions to Social Acceptance Literature—and a Call for Interdisciplinarity References Chapter 7: Social Acceptance and Interdisciplinarity: Understanding the Constructive Power of Terminology Introduction Disciplines and Terminology Attitudes and Behaviours in Sociology Sociological Work in Practice Attitudes and Behaviours in Psychology Psychological Research in Practice Attitudes and Behaviours in Geography Geographical Work in Practice Attitudes and Behaviours in Economics Overview of Some Disciplinary Differences The Application of Concepts and Terminology in Research The Importance of Conflicted and Conflated Meanings The Constructive Power of Terminology Implications for Future Work Conclusion References Part V: Interventions—Praxis and Political Engagement with Research Chapter 8: Social Acceptance: Beyond Criticism and Critical, a Call for Experimental Ontology Introduction Analytical Threads Thread 1: Acceptance as a Consequence of Spatial Planning (Representations—Milieu) Thread 2: Acceptance as Part of the Construction of a Relational Potential (Actants—Milieu) Thread 3: Acceptance (Issue) as an Expression (‘Problematicness’) of Interferences Discussion: Interference as Hint for Different Encounters References Chapter 9: How to Assess What Society Wants? The Need for a Renewed Social Conflict Research Agenda Introduction Social Conflict as Societal Assessment Three Shortcomings in Social Acceptance Literature Social Conflict as Participation Social Conflict as a Multi-actor Process Social Conflicts Interact with Other Conflicts Implications for Research on Social Acceptance References Part VI: Overcoming Localism and Spatial Determinism Chapter 10: Provincial Polyphasia: Community Energy Generation and the Politics of Sustainability Transition in Alberta, Canada Introduction Theorising Social Acceptance and Power Situating the Growth of Renewables in Alberta Encountering Dispositional Power: Alberta’s Electricity Grid The Technical and Material Challenges Faced by CE Actors Regulatory Politics Conclusion References Chapter 11: People-Place Bonds, Rhetorical Meaning-Making and “Doing Acceptance” to a Renewable Energy Infrastructure: Postcolonial Insights from the Global South Introduction Exploring Postcolonial RET Acceptance in the Global South Context Sample and Analysis Recovering the Gaucho Image: Cultural Place Identity, Local Empowerment and Self-Esteem The Rhetoric of Progress: The Wind Farm Bridging Gaucho Traditions and the Modern World Social and Political Implications for a Critical Agenda Social Democratization Energy Decolonization Final Considerations References Chapter 12: Energy Justice and Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Projects in the Global South Introduction Energy Justice; What It Is and Where It Came From Case Study 1: On-grid Wind Power in Oaxaca, Mexico Case Studies 2a and 2b: Hydropower and Solar PV Systems in Malawi 2a: Hydro Mini-grid in Mulanje 2b: Grid-Connected PV Plant in Salima Discussion Commonalities; the Role of Temporality in Shaping Acceptance Divergences; Understanding Social Acceptance with Respect to Existing Electrification Disentangling Procedural and Recognition (In)Justice in Practice Distributive Justice and Defining ‘Elite’ Capture Across Different Settings References Part VII: Discussion Chapter 13: Contributions, Tensions and Future Avenues of a Critical Approach to the Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Infrastructures Introduction Contributions from the Chapters Ontological, Methodological and Normative Tensions of a Critical Approach Future Avenues for Critical Social Acceptance Research Conclusions References Index Intro -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Notes on Contributors -- List of Figures -- Part I: Introduction -- Chapter 1: A Critical Approach to the Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Infrastructures -- Introduction -- Structure and Content -- References -- Part II: Overcoming Individualism and Socio-Cognitive Reductionism -- Chapter 2: Strategies for Integrating Quantitative Methods into Critical Social Acceptance Research -- Introduction -- Methods -- Beyond Methodological Individualism -- Engaging with Place and Materiality -- Looking Relationally -- Exploring Situated Norms -- Beyond Likert Questions -- Forcing Trade-offs -- Using Vignettes and Scenarios -- Enquiring About Emotions -- Discussion and Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 3: Using a Critical Approach to Unpack the Visual-Spatial Impacts of Energy Infrastructures -- What Is in the Visual Impact of Renewable Energy and Associated Technologies? -- Anchoring and Objectification -- Illustrating Anchoring and Objectification of the Visual-Spatial Impact of RET and People's Responses -- Visual-Spatial Impact as Landscape Traditions -- Visual-Spatial Impact as Project-Place Fit -- Visual-Spatial Impact as Physical Appearance -- Conclusions and Discussion -- References -- Part III: Repoliticisations-Recognising and Articulating Power Relations -- Chapter 4: Getting Used to It, But ...? Rethinking the Elusive U-Curve of Acceptance and Post-Construction Assumptions -- Introduction -- Temporality within Social Acceptance Research -- The Elusive U-Curve -- What 'Getting Used to it, but ...' May Hide? -- From Preemptive Acceptance to Prefiguration -- Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 5: Does Renewable Energy Exist? Fossil Fuel+ Technologies and the Search for Renewable Energy -- Introduction -- Organizing Delusion: Centuries of "Progress" -- Situating "Renewable" Extractive Violence