Transiciones socio-energéticas para el desarrollo social: un estudio sobre comunidades semi aisladas en el noreste de Mendoza

Abstract

The article is oriented toward the thematic session of the dossier ‘Engineering and social development’, specifically on ‘Technological studies, development and society’. It addresses the case of half-isolated communities in the arid regions in the North East of Mendoza province (Department of Lavalle) through the following research question: Which characteristics of half isolated communities of the arid lands of Lavalle facilitate or hamper socio-energy transitions? The study of this point according to an integrated perspective includes contributions both in the field of socio-energy transitions as well as in the research strand of isolated and half isolated communities. The analysis allows to understand which kind and degrees of socio-energy transitions can be expected and may be desirable to happen according to social development perspective. The application of this paradigm combines external actor actions with local capacities. The methodology is qualitative and interpretative and it is applied to a case study in which it is identified relevant sociocultural dimensions that constrain technological transitions in the energy field. The research aims at offering tools that orient energy discussion, particularly those at the local and regional level, towards the acknowledgement of the nature of associated complex changes (technological, social, cultural, environmental) in a milieu with strong sense of identity and distinctive features, as is the case of arid lands communities.