Connecting the multi-level-perspective and social practice approach for sustainable transitions

Abstract

The increasing sense of urgency to transition to sustainable modes of consumption and production requires an understanding of social problem framings and processes of change. We examine how two conceptual frameworks, the Multi-level Perspective (MLP), a socio-technical transition theory, and Social Practice Approaches (SPA), contribute to understanding opportunities for social change. We share the results of a systematic literature review that seeks a better understanding of how these two approaches are co-employed. We first present quantifiable results from an analysis of 118 publications; we then focus on a qualitative analysis to investigate conceptual complementarities while recognizing their ontological differences. We find further entry points where the two approaches can be fruitfully combined, such as the study of vulnerable proto-practices, research on informal regimes, and the development of landscape- and supra-practice-level meanings. We conclude with recommendations on how to further operationalize the co-employment of MLP and SPA in sustainability transition studies.