Causality and explanation in socio-technical transitions research: Mobilising epistemological insights from the wider social sciences

Abstract

In response to criticisms about the status of causal explanation in socio-technical transitions research, this article elaborates the epistemological underpinnings of this emerging research field, mobilising insights from the wider social sciences where foundational debates have started to transform the understanding of causality and explanation. The article shows that socio-technical transitions are a special kind of research topic with phenomenological characteristics that pose challenges for mainstream explanatory formats and therefore warrant particular approaches to causality and explanation. It first discusses three philosophical positions on causality and explanation (positivism, pragmatism, critical realism), and concludes that critical realism is most suited to address phenomenological characteristics of socio-technical transitions. Elaborating the critical realist approach, the article then discusses the relevance of complex causalities (especially conjunctural, configurational, and event-chain causality) for explaining transitions and how existing transition frameworks (MLP, TIS, SNM) can improve their use of these causalities. The article subsequently discusses the role of theories in explanations (including heuristic roles), and the relevance of conceptual frameworks, causal mechanisms, process tracing and narrative explanation in socio-technical transitions research. Theoretical and methodological suggestions for improving transition research are provided throughout.