Gert Spaargaren：“社会实践论”与社会变迁研究

——10月21日「社会研究与治理沙龙」第29期

主题：“社会实践论”与社会变迁研究

嘉宾：Gert Spaargaren教授 荷兰瓦赫宁根大学社会科学系

时间：2016年10月21日周五下午6点半到8点半

地点：中国人民大学科研楼A座212室

主持人：张磊 副教授 中国人民大学环境学院

嘉宾简介

Gert Spaargaren（赫特.斯巴哈伦）教授现供职于荷兰瓦赫宁根大学社会科学系环境政策组，是国际知名环境社会学家、社会理论家，也是生态现代化理论（Ecological Modernisation Theory）的经典代表人物之一。上个世纪90年代末，Spaargaren教授将吉登斯、布迪厄等奠定的“社会实践论”应用于环境社会学领域，从而为欧洲可持续消费研究的“实践论”转向作出了巨大贡献。新世纪以来，Spaargaren教授领导的学术团队通过对卡斯特的网络社会理论和厄里的全球复杂性理论作出解读，基于“环境流动”的分析概念对全球环境变化问题作出了重要的社会学理论回应。Spaargaren教授的代表性理论著作有：《Environment and Global Modernity》（2000）、《Governing Environmental Flows：Global Challenges to Social Theories》（2006）、《The Ecological Modernisation Reader》（2009）、《Practice Theory and Research》（2016）。

内容摘要

Over the past decades, Practice Theories have become influential in the field of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) research.

The popularity of Practice Theories has to do with i) their understanding of the role of agency and structure in processes of social change, and ii) with the fact that Practice Theories make room for the role of material objects and infrastructures in shaping transitions.

So far, most of the empirical research using a social practice perspective has focused on (changes within) situated, individual social practices like showering, commuting from home to work, shopping for food, etc.

In focusing on these micro-level or ‘small’ social phenomena, practice theories are being blamed for not offering an alternative with respect to the study of social change at the macro level of so called ‘large social phenomena’.

In response to these criticisms, there has developed a lively debate on Practice Theories and Research on Social Change in both small and large social phenomena (Schatzki). In the presentation, recent developments in Practice Theories will be discussed for their relevance for doing empirical research on social change.

Background Literature: Practice Theory and Research; exploring the dynamics of social life. Gert Spaargaren, Don Weenink and Machiel Lamers (eds.). Routledge, 2016.