Sustainable social practices
Studying social practices involving ICT use where changed practices can affect the outcome in terms of sustainability, and the visions, i.e., goals, policies and concepts for sustainability within companies and organizations.
Project title
Sustainable social practices (2009-2012)
Project description
The project started 2009 and will continue until 2011. Research has, however, been ongoing at a lower level since 2007 within a feasibility study and as a part of the projects Sustainability Assessment Methods and Persuasive Services during 2008. The overall aim is to identify and describe basic conditions and constraints for, and driving forces behind, sustainable practices supported by communication technology within organizations and among consumers. Sociological theories on how everyday practices are established and maintained and on cultural and social processes of change will provide the basis for the analysis. Objects of study include 1) social practices involving ICT use where changed practices can affect the outcome in terms of sustainability, and 2) visions, i.e., goals, policies and concepts for sustainability within companies and organizations. The focus is not on a particular technology, service or activity, but rather on a variety of ICT-supported situations and different user groups. Examples are ICT services that support sustainable consumption (i.e., through providing information/persuasion in specific situations of consumption) or that substitute less sustainable activities (i.e., video conferencing/mediated meetings substituting travel for meetings). The project will thus investigate the basic conditions for ICT use and how these conditions relate to social and environmental aspects and consequences. The project will consider social structures in terms of power, gender, professional roles, and economic and social resources.
Project leader
Greger Henriksson
Partners
Ericsson, TeliaSonera
Contact
Greger Henriksson (gregerh@infra.kth.se)