Call for papers: Beyond Oil Conference in October 2017

We will be hosting another Beyond Oil Conference in Bergen, October 25-27, 2017!

NB! Abstract submission deadline has been extended until May 15th 2017!

Call for papers:

Beyond Oil: mobilizing alternative futures.

Society is inevitably moving beyond oil. The direction that this transformation will take is still highly uncertain. Transformations to societies beyond oil involve deliberate choices that lead to different outcomes with regards to power, justice, inequality and human-nature relations. A task for social scientists is to analyze the structures of inertia and capacities for change in current societies, and highlight the multiple futures that these make possible.

As research moves from studying problems to proposing pathways and solutions, we therefore need to critically interrogate the particular solutions that are proposed and how they relate to the futures we wish to mobilize. As academics, we also need to consider our own role in transformations – whether as catalysts, participants, critics, or knowledge producers. We welcome researchers from a variety of research fields connected to the topics above.

Dates and venue

Oct 25–27, 2017 in Bergen, Norway

Call for papers

Send your abstracts by May 15th, 2017

Contact

Karin Lillevold, karin.lillevold@uib.no

We welcome papers on the following themes:

Capacities for change: theorizing the inertia and instability of energyscapes

How can emerging capacities for change be conceptualized with reference to the relative inertia and instability of contemporary energy landscapes? The topic calls for papers that explore socio-material relations of energyscapes and that critically discuss opportunities for change.

Mobilizing and/or scaling climate and energy transformations

A common point of departure in transformation research is that experiments and small initiatives may lead larger systemic change. We invite contributions that examine the mechanisms, pathways and relations through which such initiatives are mobilized or scaled. What exactly is mobilized, where, when, how, and by whom?

Politicizing urban life: Power and inequality in transformations

With what effect and for whom are climate and energy transformations mobilized in cities? How can we critically approach the nature of urban life in sustainable urban futures? The topic calls for papers that critically approach potential urban futures with a sensitivity to the power and inequality of climate and energy transformations.

Innovative methods and processes for research, learning and governance

Current strategies for research, education, and governance may be unsuitable to deal with the complexity and urgency of many social and environmental challenges. How does this affect the role of academia and researchers? We particularly invite contributions that discuss and/or demonstrate new methodologies for conducting research, facilitating learning and/or governance.

Read about the 2015 Beyond Oil Conference here.