TY - JOUR

T1 - Importance of actors and agency in sustainability transitions

T2 - A systematic exploration of the literature

AU - Fischer, Lisa Britt

AU - Newig, Jens

PY - 2016/5/13

Y1 - 2016/5/13

N2 - This article explores the role of actors and agency in the literature on sustainability transitions. We reviewed 386 journal articles on transition management and sustainability transitions listed in Scopus from 1995 to 2014. We investigate the thesis that actors have been neglected in this literature in favor of more abstract system concepts. Results show that this thesis cannot be confirmed on a general level. Rather, we find a variety of different approaches, depending on the systemic level, for clustering actors and agency as niche, regime, and landscape actors; the societal realm; different levels of governance; and intermediaries. We also differentiate between supporting and opposing actors. We find that actor roles in transitions are erratic, since their roles can change over the course of time, and that actors can belong to different categories. We conclude by providing recommendations for a comprehensive typology of actors in sustainability transitions.

AB - This article explores the role of actors and agency in the literature on sustainability transitions. We reviewed 386 journal articles on transition management and sustainability transitions listed in Scopus from 1995 to 2014. We investigate the thesis that actors have been neglected in this literature in favor of more abstract system concepts. Results show that this thesis cannot be confirmed on a general level. Rather, we find a variety of different approaches, depending on the systemic level, for clustering actors and agency as niche, regime, and landscape actors; the societal realm; different levels of governance; and intermediaries. We also differentiate between supporting and opposing actors. We find that actor roles in transitions are erratic, since their roles can change over the course of time, and that actors can belong to different categories. We conclude by providing recommendations for a comprehensive typology of actors in sustainability transitions.

KW - Actor typology

KW - Agency

KW - Sustainability

KW - Transitions

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Sustainability sciences, Communication

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84970939199&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/su8050476

DO - 10.3390/su8050476

M3 - Scientific review articles

AN - SCOPUS:84970939199

VL - 8

JO - Sustainability

JF - Sustainability

SN - 2071-1050

IS - 5

M1 - 476

ER -