Abstract
In the scientific literature on energy transition toward decarbonization, the learning process is often described as a preferred way to achieve change. However, despite a large number of theoretical and empirical endeavors, a systematic understanding of the process is still lacking due to the diversity of disciplines and approaches and to the multi-layered nature of the phenomenon. The aim of this systematic review is to highlight the dimensions of learning processes from a cultural psychological point of view in order to understand and assess different planes of the relation between humans and technology. We thus explore the literature following the PRISMA protocol. Through a narrative synthesis, we critically assess the theoretical and methodological advancement, the presence of cultural determinants, the value ascribed to agency, and the depoliticization risk. We found that: theories and methodologies still lack systematicity and concordance in their application; learning processes are studied with little focus on the context and are mostly treated as facilitators; agency mostly lacks a psychosocial focus, despite the exploration of multi-level problems; and the depoliticization of learning is a matter of fact. Nevertheless, positive examples are present, although they are few. Epistemological and political implications are discussed, and a psychosocial conception of agency is proposed, together with a reflective stance for researchers.
Highlights
Accepted: 15 September 2021Global warming is a major threat to humankind, as acknowledged by the 2018 IPCC report, which recognized fossil-based energy resources as one of the main causes of climate change [1]
By examining the state of the art of the literature regarding the transition to decarbonization and the learning process, this review aims to explore how studies have framed the role of agents in the production of effective change
We argue that changing the focus from the transition itself and starting directly from the human dimension, such as the learning process, can promote the active role of agents in the production of effective societal change, challenging the passive model used in the transition literature, with the consideration of depoliticized agency and theoretical dispersion
Summary
Accepted: 15 September 2021Global warming is a major threat to humankind, as acknowledged by the 2018 IPCC report, which recognized fossil-based energy resources as one of the main causes of climate change [1]. This energy transition process is inherently complex because it involves different dimensions, from social and symbolic to the industrial system and economic level [2,3] Within this socio-technical approach to transition, the relation between human beings, the environment, and technology is central [3]. The explicative potential of MLP lies in the interaction between three elements that provide an explanatory model of historical energy transition: socio-technical landscapes, as the long-term secular development process; regime, as the incumbent socio-technical system; and niches, as the main drivers of innovation [6,7] In this way, the theory attempts to cover elements that are neglected by mainstream socio-technical policy and governance approaches, such as the role of culture
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