03. Automated mobility: transition enabler or disabler? The sound of energy transitions. An ethnographic case.
Sessions
Beyond crisis/Beyond normal
A social science and humanities conference on sustainability
Organized by NTNU Energy Team Society
27 and 28 September 2023 | DIGS (pdf), Trondheim |
Registration deadline: 15 August
Thematic sessions
The conference has the following thematic sessions:
Date: 28 September
Time: 14.30 - 16.00
Session programme
14.30 - 14.40: Welcome and introduction
14.40 - 14.55: Simen Rostad Sæther: Automation and sustainability in the port sector
14.55 - 15.10: Jens Schippl: Technology assessment and governance of automated vehicles
15.10 - 15.25: Morten Ryen Loe: Smart is sexy, but is it just?
15.25 -15. 40: Jon Arne Glomsrud Ecosystems of trust (EoTs) from stakeholders’ perspective: Ensuring successful deployment of technology for twin transitions
15.40 - 16.00: Discussion with presenters and the audience: Automated mobility: transition enabler or disabler?
The automation and digitization of mobility systems is moving fast forward, among other represented by heavy investments in research and development. European governments are also increasing their readiness for automation, assuming automated mobility to be a given component of future mobility systems. Research on automation and digitization of mobility is largely focusing on technological and regulatory prerequisites for implementation and has to date reflected little upon its role in sustainability transitions.
Although automated mobility is often equated with electric mobility, there is a need for further exploring ways in which automation might enable sustainability transitions in mobility (e.g. through twin transitions) or continue lock-ins that disable sustainability transitions (automation as an evil twin of sustainability transitions?). Moreover, automation may lead to changes in employment in the transport section, requiring attention to just transitions.
In this session we invite research papers and discussion pieces on the role of automation in the sustainable transformation of mobility. Potential perspectives might include (but are not limited to):
- Incumbencies of OEMs, shipping and transport companies
- Hype-disappointment issues
- Rebound effects
- Expected impacts of automation on mobility
- Expected impacts on land use or access
- Political or cultural discourses (on technology) in mobility
- Governance strategies in mobility
- Innovation system studies
- Just transitions
Organizers
Kristin Ystmark Bjerkan, SINTEF
Lillian Hansen, SINTEF
Tuukka Mäkitie, SINTEF
Contact: Kristin Ystmark Bjerkan
Poster session
The conference will also have an open poster session where participants are invited to present any sustainability related social science and humanities research. Guidelines for poster and poster presentation (pdf).
Eleni Damopoulou
While the efforts to achieve climate change mitigation have led to high- speed energy transitions, the discussion on justice-related issues (Jenkins et al., 2016) intensifies. Local communities are often expected to adapt to the new situations faster than the rest of society, whilst being the most affected and least benefited from the processes.
Drawing from ethnographic research conducted in 2021 in a Greek small village called Ellopia, I aim to show that the materiality of energy transitions can be a significant factor for social inequalities. As I argue here, energy transitions are more tangible than we tend to believe(Choi, 2022). The focus of the presentation lies on the audibility of the wind turbines, which in this ethnographic example, emerge as sound objects producing new “sound events” (Schafer, 1994), and affecting the shared experience of the soundscape (Truax & Barrett, 2011) within the “acoustic community” (Truax & Barrett, 2011).
As it has often referred to in the literature, we learn about our environment not only through our minds, but also through our bodies and the senses (Feld & Brenneis, 2004; Ingold, 2016; Pink, 2015), which indicates that changes to the soundscape affect the everyday rhythm of life within a specific environment and consequently our knowledge of it.
Playing, doing, thinking, arguing, working, walking: call for alternative format sessions
The conference will also allocate one timeslot for parallel sessions using alternative formats. We welcome workshops, activities, co-creation exercises, innovative discussions, brainstorming formats, and whatever other creative initiatives you can come up with.
Beyond crises/Beyond Normal acknowledges that grappling with the key challenges of our era requires creative engagement beyond standard knowledge production and sharing through academic presentations. We will therefore allocate one timeslot for parallel sessions using alternative formats.
We welcome workshops, activities, co-creation exercises, innovative discussions, brainstorming formats, and whatever other creative initiatives you can come up with. The only condition is that activities should be clearly engaging with or be relevant for researchers working on themes of sustainability, climate change, transitions, and energy from a social science or humanities perspective.
While we are open to any good idea that offers an alternative to the conventional panel of paper presentations, we suggest keeping to the following guidelines:
- The session should require little or no preparation from the audience/participants. People should be able to decide to join on the spot.
- The session's success should not depend on the number of participants. Design your session such that it can be successful with 5 persons as well as with 30.
- Allow for both active and passive participation. Allowing mere spectators is likely to be more inclusive as not everyone may want to be ‘on stage’. At the same time, of course make active participation as attractive as you can.
- The activity should be concluded in 90 minutes. Also, mind that the venue will not allow for extensive preparation of the rooms.
- Make clear whether you want this to be an academic exercise, or something that welcomes audience of any kind
- Have an idea for a side-event, an outdoors event, a field trip, an evening event, or any other activity? Do not hesitate to reach out, and we will happily discuss and help!
Describe your plan for the session in 200-300 words. Also describe specific needs for the session (but bear in mind that anything beyond a conference room with AV equipment might be difficult for us to arrange).
Alternative format sessions
The climate fresk workshop
SSH meets society
Tender Cartographies: Mapping felt experiences of place in transition times
Non-Violent Direct Action Training Session with Scientist Rebellion Trondheim
Imaginative and anticipatory co-creation for transformation – pros, cons and unknowns (collective sharing and brainstorming)
Identifying Sustainable Development Goal interlinkages: the case of solar photovoltaics
Organizing committee
-
Kim-Andre Myhre Arntsen PhD Candidate
+4790867311 kim.a.m.arntsen@ntnu.no Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture -
Shaua Fui Chen PhD Candidate
+47-73559959 shaua.f.chen@ntnu.no Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture -
Zane Datava PhD student
+4794277524 zane.datava@ntnu.no -
Franziska Gehlmann PhD student
franziska.gehlmann@ntnu.no -
Sara Heidenreich Senior researcher
+47-73591779 sara.heidenreich@ntnu.no Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture -
Sigurd Hilmo Lundheim
sigurd.h.lundheim@ntnu.no Department of Sociology and Political Science -
Tomas Moe Skjølsvold Professor of STS and Director of FME NTRANS
+47-73550189 +4793634270 tomas.skjolsvold@ntnu.no Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture