This paper examines a variety of theories bearing on ‘socio-material incumbency’ and explores methodological implications. The aim is to develop a systematic general approach, which builds on strengths and mitigates…
How deep is incumbency? A ‘configuring fields’ approach to redistributing and reorienting power in socio-material change
Transforming Access to Clean Technology: Learning From Lighting Africa
The working paper analyses the case of Lighting Africa, which successfully transformed access to solar lighting in Kenya and, as far as we are aware, conceptualises and illustrates for the first time Lighting Africa’s approach. This builds on past STEPS research that focusses on building sociotechnical innovation systems.
Crises in Variegated Capitalism, Co-produced, Hydro-Social Impacts
Drawing on fieldwork undertaken on Dutch aid in the Mozambican waterscape, this working paper asks how seemingly unrelated crises jointly reproduced politico-economic and hydro-social conditions in Mozambique. To this end, literature on the political ecology of crisis and austerity is mobilised and adapted to the needs of this paper through the notion of variegated capitalism. This relational approach helps to make sense of interdependencies between the two crises (and the responses they triggered) in a singular global, but spatially differentiated, capitalism.
What is Uncertainty and Why Does it Matter?
STEPS Working Paper 105 April 2019 Uncertainty defines our times. Whether it is in relation to climate change, disease outbreaks, financial volatility, natural disasters or political settlements, every media headline…
The Water-Food-Energy Nexus: Power, Politics and Justice
by Jeremy Allouche, Carl Middleton and Dipak Gyawali Earthscan/Routledge, April 2019 Buy this book Download a chapter Download the Accepted Manuscript (AM) of a chapter of the book. This document…
Engineering and Sustainability: Control and Care in Unfoldings of Modernity
SPRU Working Paper series SWPS 2019-06 (February) Forthcoming as a chapter in Diane P. Michelfelder and Neelke Doorn (eds), Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Engineering, London: Routledge, 2019 This chapter…
How Deep Is Incumbency? Introducing a ‘Configuring Fields’ Approach to the Distribution and Orientation of Power in Socio-Material Change
This paper examines a variety of theories bearing on ‘socio-material incumbency’ and explores methodological implications. The aim is to develop a systematic general approach, which builds on strengths and mitigates…
Transformations to Sustainability
STEPS Working Paper 104 September 2018 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight how transformations to sustainable economies and societies are a major global challenge. This Working Paper offers a brief…
Governing Food and Agriculture in a Warming World
Understanding how, why, and whether the trade-offs and tensions around simultaneous implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals are resolved both sustainably and equitably requires an appreciation of power relations across…
Pathways to Sustainability book series
Our flagship book series addresses core challenges linking science, technology and sustainability with poverty reduction and social justice – with insights from across the STEPS Centre’s projects and themes. The…