trends and future of sustainable development - TransEco

oth human and non-human (companies, authorities, technologies, laws of physics, etc.) and identifywhich elements support the system design, which ones oppose it and how to deal with arisingcontroversies.Actor-network theoryActor-network theory became known from the writings of Callon (1986: 196-223) and Latour (1987,2005) on sociotechnical systems and their formation. The distinct feature of ANT is the attempt todissolve the dualism between actors and structure, micro and macro level, global and local (van derDuim, 2005). This is achieved by treating all the elements equally, be they human or non-human. ANThas been used e.g. for researching the change processes in sustainable consumption (Heiskanen andRask, 2008), mapping controversies in projects (Markowski and Csösz, 2008; Sage et al., 2011),exploring the phenomenon of tourism as a network-actor entity (van der Duim, 2005).Socio-technical diagrams (see Figure 1) are a means to identify, which actors are supporting oropposing the system, i.e. are enrolled in the programme or antiprogramme of an innovation. Thismapping brings a researcher closer to the understanding of how the opposing actors can be co-opted,and how the supporting actors can be strengthened.ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN ACTORSThechangingactornetworkTheshifting actornetworkControversy frontSUBSTITUTIONS OF ACTORSFigure 1. Principle of a Sociotechnical diagram (Markowski, 2008)ANT was developed from the research of diffusion of innovations. Also it is designed for tracking andunravelling unresolved situations (Markowski, 2008). Therefore ANT appears to be an appropriatetheory for analysing the development of a biogas production system in focus. Obviously, it is a difficulttask to force the switch from the traditional view of fossil-based industry towards the renewable energywithout considering all the possible influences coming from both human and non-human actors in theircomplex interrelations and combinations. The approach and ANT-derived tools are able to support adetailed mapping of actors and controversies around scientific innovations and further ‘re-assembling’the interconnections in order to help the idea of sustainable production systems and ‘green’ energy to getaccepted and diffused.449