Abstract
Because of the urgency of accelerating transitions, we examine the emerging understanding of the concept of ‘disruption’ in the context of sustainability transition studies to critically assess its value, pitfalls and potentials. By conducting a qualitative systematic review of 47 articles, we analyse how disruption is seen in this literature and what is being disrupted. We identify four non-technical dimensions of disruption, adding ‘behaviour, practices and cultural models’ to previously suggested dimensions, i.e., markets and business models, regulations and policy, and actors and networks. We summarise what the literature identifies as disruption in transitions and draw on other literatures (e.g. social practice theory and institutional theory) to elaborate the dimensions of disruption. We provide a new definition of disruption in sociotechnical transitions, with focus on both speed and magnitude of change. We end by highlighting the importance of disruptive practices and low-tech solutions alongside disruptive technologies and policies.
Highlights
To address the wicked problems of climate change and environmental degradation (Ripple et al, 2020), urgent changes are needed across energy, food, water and mobility systems
This section presents an overview of the 47 articles. It focuses on the different dimensions of disruption that were found in the systematic review
No of times ‘disrupt’ used Theories used Empirical focus, sector Country and/or city Definition of disruption, if any Scale in focus Findings linked to disruptive innovation, niche-level disruption Findings linked to system level disruption, destabilisation Actors in disruption Business and markets in disruption Regulations, rules, norms in disruption Culture in disruption Ownership in disruption Behaviour in disruption Disruption as a process Urban functioning in disruption Destabilisation
Summary
The magnitude of the challenge requires radical and disruptive changes in the current set-up of sociotechnical systems. This article focuses on how sustainability transitions research uses and defines the concept of disruption. The critical review is needed to assess the value, pitfalls and potentials of the concept for the acceleration of sustainability transitions. The sustainability transitions literature aims to study how challenging transitions occur and what might be the prerequisites of promoting rapid and deep enough change. The literature originated in the early 2000s, and expanded rapidly, with conceptualanalytical frameworks built around the dynamics of changing sociotechnical systems (Markard et al, 2012; Kohler et al, 2019). Transitions are often thought to involve activities in different scales (niches, regimes, landscape) Differing ontologies exist, such as focus on technological innovation systems (e.g. Hekkert et al, 2007; Bergek et al, 2008) or the spatiality of transitions drawing from economic geography (Coenen et al, 2012; Hansen and Coenen, 2015)
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