Prof. dr. ir. Gert Spaargaren; Wageningen University, Environmental Policy Group

 

In his talk, Gert Spaargaren will present a short overview of the work done on sustainable consumption so far, both in sociology and in the environmental sciences. At present, so he will argue, the ''practice based approach'' is increasingly recognized as an interesting perspective for studying environmental changes in everyday life. Spaargaren will discuss three factors contributing to this ''practice turn'' in the social sciences in some more detail. First, a practice based approach moves beyond the classical division of ''individualist'' and ''systemic'' methodologies. Second, it allows for confronting simultaneously the role of ''technological'' and ''cultural'' factors and innovations. Third, most practice theories display high levels of (self)reflexivity in the study of sustainable consumption while moving away from some of the technocratic and moralistic framings of sustainable consumption. Now that some theoretical debates seem to mature, the challenge for practice theory is to (also) come up with empirical results that are recognized for their relevance to policies and governance for sustainable consumption (SCP) worldwide. Gert Spaargaren will present an example of practice based research with relevance to the low carbon food transition.

Esta sessão será conjunta com o seminário do doutoramento de Alterações Climáticas e Politicas de Desenvolvimento Sustentável e terá lugar, excecionalmente, entre as 14h e as 16h.

 

Short bio Gert Spaargaren

Gert Spaargaren is Senior Researcher and Professor of Environmental Policy for Sustainable Lifestyles and Consumption in the Environmental Policy Group at Wageningen University. His main research interests are in environmental sociology, sustainable consumption and behavior, and globalization of environmental reform. His work has appeared in Global Environmental Change, Environmental Politics, Society and Natural Resources, Organization and Environment and numerous other journals. Spaargaren''s most recent books are The Ecological Modernisation Reader (edited with Arthur Mol and David Sonnenfeld) and Food in a Sustainable World: Transitions in the Consumption, Retail, and Production of Food (edited with Peter Oosterveer and Anne Loeber).