Tackling Long-Term Global Energy Problems: The Contribution of Social Science

Description

This book makes a case for a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach to energy research—one that brings more of the social sciences to bear. Featuring eight studies from across the spectrum of the social sciences, each applying multiple disciplines to one or more energy-related problems, the book demonstrates the strong analytical and policy-making potential of such a broadened perspective. Case studies include: energy transitions of households in developing countries, the ‘curse of oil’, politics and visions for renewables, economics and ethics in emissions trading, and carbon capture and storage. Front Matter....Pages i-xxviii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Introduction....Pages 3-10 Energy-Related Challenges....Pages 11-22 The Indispensable Role of Social Science in Energy Research....Pages 23-43 Front Matter....Pages 45-45 What About Social Science and Interdisciplinarity? A 10-Year Content Analysis of Energy Policy ....Pages 47-71 Towards an Integrative Framework for Energy Transitions of Households in Developing Countries....Pages 73-96 A Socio-Cultural Analysis of Changing Household Electricity Consumption in India....Pages 97-113 The Changing Context for Efforts to Avoid the ‘Curse of Oil’....Pages 115-132 Contributions of Economics and Ethics to an Assessment of Emissions Trading....Pages 133-166 No Smooth, Managed Pathway to Sustainable Energy Systems – Politics, Materiality and Visions for Wind Turbine and Biogas Technology....Pages 167-189 Technical Fixes Under Surveillance – CCS and Lessons Learned from the Governance of Long-Term Radioactive Waste Management....Pages 191-226 Learning from the Transdisciplinary Case Study Approach: A Functional-Dynamic Approach to Collaboration Among Diverse Actors in Applied Energy Settings....Pages 227-245 Lessons from the Invited Contributions....Pages 247-261 Synthesis: Research Perspectives....Pages 263-269 Front Matter....Pages 271-271 Lessons for Problem-Solving Energy Research in the Social Sciences....Pages 273-319 Back Matter....Pages 321-336