Exploring the application of Social Practice Theory in technology-related research: A state of the art literature review

IF 6.9 2区经济学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Energy Research & Social Science Pub Date : 2025-05-27 DOI:10.1016/j.erss.2025.104145

Mena Mesenhöller

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

While numerous theories and methods aim to analyze the impact of technology on society, they are typically driven by individualist or technologically determinist approaches. Conversely, Social Practice Theory (SPT) highlights the mutual relation between technology and individuals, emphasizing the role of technology in shaping and being shaped by everyday practices to understand technological adoption and change.

This paper systematically reviews 80 studies to investigate how SPT has been applied in technology-related research, identifying key research areas, methodological approaches, and theoretical combinations. Based on our analysis, we develop five propositions how future research should continue to work with SPT in technology-related research: 1.) employing SPT to underrepresented research areas; 2.) applying SPT to new geographical contexts; 3.) maintaining SPT's applicability to a diversity of technology conceptualizations; 4.) enriching the range of methods with large-scale designs; 5.) continuing to connect SPT to other theoretical models.

We conclude that SPT is highly relevant for technology-related research and energy research, as it enables a deeper analysis of how energy-related technologies become embedded in everyday routines. We state that understanding how practices evolve, stabilize, or change is essential for designing policies and interventions that promote sustainable energy transitions. By further integrating SPT into technology research in general, researchers can gain a more nuanced perspective on the socio-technical dynamics of innovation, informing more effective and socially responsive technological transformations.

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探索社会实践理论在技术相关研究中的应用：文献综述

虽然许多理论和方法旨在分析技术对社会的影响，但它们通常是由个人主义或技术决定论方法驱动的。相反，社会实践理论（SPT）强调技术与个人之间的相互关系，强调技术在塑造和被日常实践塑造中的作用，以理解技术的采用和变革。本文系统回顾了80项研究，探讨了SPT在技术相关研究中的应用，确定了重点研究领域、方法方法和理论组合。基于我们的分析，我们提出了未来研究如何在技术相关研究中继续使用SPT的五个建议：1.将SPT应用于代表性不足的研究领域；2)将SPT应用于新的地理背景；3)保持SPT对各种技术概念化的适用性；4)以大型设计丰富方法范围；5)继续将SPT与其他理论模型联系起来。我们的结论是，SPT与技术相关的研究和能源研究高度相关，因为它可以更深入地分析能源相关技术如何融入日常生活。我们指出，了解实践如何演变、稳定或变化，对于设计促进可持续能源转型的政策和干预措施至关重要。通过将SPT进一步整合到技术研究中，研究人员可以更细致地了解创新的社会技术动态，为更有效和社会响应的技术变革提供信息。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Energy Research & Social Science ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES-

CiteScore

14.00

自引率

16.40%

发文量

441

审稿时长

55 days

期刊介绍： Energy Research & Social Science (ERSS) is a peer-reviewed international journal that publishes original research and review articles examining the relationship between energy systems and society. ERSS covers a range of topics revolving around the intersection of energy technologies, fuels, and resources on one side and social processes and influences - including communities of energy users, people affected by energy production, social institutions, customs, traditions, behaviors, and policies - on the other. Put another way, ERSS investigates the social system surrounding energy technology and hardware. ERSS is relevant for energy practitioners, researchers interested in the social aspects of energy production or use, and policymakers. Energy Research & Social Science (ERSS) provides an interdisciplinary forum to discuss how social and technical issues related to energy production and consumption interact. Energy production, distribution, and consumption all have both technical and human components, and the latter involves the human causes and consequences of energy-related activities and processes as well as social structures that shape how people interact with energy systems. Energy analysis, therefore, needs to look beyond the dimensions of technology and economics to include these social and human elements.