STABbing through the levels
Transitions involve interdependent changes at different levels of social aggregation (e.g. individual, group, network, organization, value chain, societal system, etc.). These levels tend to be the object of study of different social science disciplines, who each develop theories, methodologies, insights and interventions that may help to understand and influence change at a specific level. In this initiative we aim to develop a better understanding of how different levels are interconnected in processes of transition, which includes exploring how theories and interventions from different disciplines (e.g. psychology, sociology, political science) can be meaningfully linked. In transition studies, for example, the concept of socio-technical regimes is often used to describe the configuration of social and technical aspects of a society that tend to reproduce and maintain the status quo in a given domain, until pressures and alternative technologies and forms of organizing become strong enough to ‘overthrow’ the existing regime. However, the mechanisms of action that explain why and how regimes change are often linked to lower levels of social aggregation, including how organizations and individuals interact and behave. Thus, we need we insight into the cross-cutting processes that describe how higher-level phenomena influence (or manifest as) lower-level phenomena, as well as how lower-level phenomena influence (or manifest as) higher-level phenomena. To start mapping these cross-cutting processes, and so produce a proof of concept, we start with an effort to link social psychological insights to the more sociological and political dimensions of regime change. This also serves to provide practical guidance to interventionists aiming to direct and accelerate sustainability transitions that are deemed desirable, for example by building more effective linkages between intervention strategies that address different levels and domains involved in societal transitions.
Team members of “Interactions between levels of transitions” in alphabetical order:
Neda Aramipour (University of Groningen)
Paul Kocken (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Cees Leeuwis (Wageningen University)
Gjalt-Jorn Peters (Open University)
Rafael Wittek (University of Groningen)