The role of social identity in institutional work for sociotechnical transitions: The case of transport infrastructure in Berlin

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

Generally, sociotechnical change requires that agency is exercised across multiple, connected levels or contexts. Yet there is very little work in the sociotechnical sustainability transitions literature that theorises these connections in ways that acknowledge the individual-level processes involved. Here we show how identity theory can connect macro- and micro-levels of analysis, with identity construction being a social psychological process that is also involved in institutional work. For empirical illustration we use the case of emerging mobility transitions in Berlin, Germany, in particular aspects of institutional work for infrastructural change in favor of cycling. The study shows how the construction of a common identity among varied actor groups has been key to a citizen campaign for safe cycling infrastructure. The construction of a socially inclusive identity relating to cycling has been made possible by prioritizing the development of a campaign network comprised of weak ties among stakeholders, rather than a closer-knit network based on a more exclusive group of sporty cyclists. The findings are discussed in the light of both social psychological models and sociotechnical transitions theory. The implications for scaling niche practices for sustainability are considered.

Original languageEnglish
Article number120385
JournalTechnological Forecasting and Social Change
Volume162
Number of pages11
ISSN0040-1625
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.01.2021

Bibliographical note

We would like to thank all interview partners for their time and effort. We would also like to thank Meike Ortmanns and Raphael Lorenz-de Laigue for their assistance with the media analysis and background research. We would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments that substantially helped us to improve the manuscript. Furthermore, we would like to thank the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, FONA-program, for partially funding this research.

    Research areas

  • Agency, Cycling infrastructure, Institutional work, Mobility transitions, Social identity
  • Management studies

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Traditional and modern ageism as predictors of workplace discrimination
  2. Fast Supercapacitor Charging for Electromagnetic Converter Systems by Self Powered Boost Circuit
  3. Ain't no mountain high enough
  4. Stress corrosion of the Mg-Zn-Zr alloy system using C-ring tests
  5. Sustainability constraints on UK bioenergy development
  6. Vox Hamburgensis – oder: Die Stimme des Geistes
  7. Re/working Affect - Queer Feminist Engagements
  8. A strategy for an initial assessment of the ecotoxicological effects of transformation products of pesticides in aquatic systems following a tiered approach
  9. FAIR.ReD: Semantic knowledge graph infrastructure for the life sciences
  10. Influence of processing route on the properties of magnesium alloys
  11. Efficacy of gamified Applications of mental Health Promotion and Prevention
  12. Financing the energy transition in times of financial market instability
  13. One for all, all for one
  14. Mietmodell Software Adobe
  15. The sensitivity of lizards to elevation: A case study from south-eastern Australia
  16. Kammern für Arbeitssachen am EuGH (KfA-EuGH)
  17. Assessment of physical strain in younger and older subjects using heart rate and scalings of perceived exertion
  18. Behavioural activation for depression
  19. Eltern - Schule - Migrationsgesellschaft
  20. High with low
  21. Die Sache mit dem Erben
  22. Telearbeit in Deutschland
  23. Manager’s misinterpretation of goodwill impairments
  24. Habitual physical activity and its determinants - experiences from the perspective of children using wheelchairs
  25. Species-Specific Effects on Throughfall Kinetic Energy in Subtropical Forest Plantations Are Related to Leaf Traits and Tree Architecture
  26. Transformative education
  27. Tree diversity, tree growth, and microclimate independently structure Lepidoptera herbivore community stability
  28. Imagology Meets Children's Literature
  29. Green infrastructure connectivity analysis across spatiotemporal scales
  30. Exploring the role of intentions and expectations in continuing professional development in sustainability education
  31. The Problems of Modern Societies — Epistemic Design around 1970
  32. Improvement of GC sensitivity for polar and nonpolar PAHs by using a deactivated liner