Presentation BEHAVE PROGRAM, 2007. Cristina Balari, External Advice Expert /Researcher to the European programme BEHAVE – Evaluation of Energy Behavioural Change Programmes (Intelligent Energy for Europe, EUROPEAN COMISSION).

1. BEHAVE – Evaluation of Energy-Related
Behaviour Change Programmes & Projects
NEW INSIGHTS FOR ENERGY
FROM SOCIAL RESEARCH
CRISTINA BALARI URANGA
Madrid, 16 de abril de 2007

2. NEW INSIGHTS FOR ENERGY
FROM SOCIAL RESEARCH
Introduction: Energy as social issue
A new approach: Towards a Sociology of Energy
Main theories about social origins of
environmental problems
New insights: the Lifestyles Social Practices
Model and the Social Practices of Domestic
Consumption of Electricity
Some facts: the Energy Eurobarometer

3. INTRODUCTION
Energy is a Social issue
1. Importance of energy from a technical
standing point
2. Environmental problems
3. Domestic consumption and the need to
energy saving

4. A NEW APPROACH:
TOWARDS A SOCIOLOGY OF ENERGY
Environmental problems are multidimensional
and require multidisciplinary approaches
The extraction, conversion, delivery, use and
consumption of energy is as much a social and
economic activity as a technical one
Energy research in most countries is dominated
by engineering and the natural sciences, and
holds only a marginal position within the Social
Sciences

5. SOCIAL SCIENCE APPROACHES
TO ENERGY ISSUES
Economics has paid much greater attention to
energy issues than other social sciences. The
current energy research agenda is dominated by
economic questions.
Energy occupies a far more marginal position within
the other social sciences.
The relevant activities developed in the other social
sciences can be grouped into four disciplinary areas:
political science, international relations, social
psychology and sociology.

6. THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
The Sociological perspective could be applied to energy research
topics as household energy efficiency and domestic energy
saving.
However, this kind of research is clearly insufficient in relationship
with the magnitude of the social dimension of energy problems.
This is despite the potential that appears to be offered by other
established traditions within Sociology, including:
Sociology of consumption: which emphasises the importance of
meaning, identity and symbolism in consumption practices;
Environmental sociology: which includes research on
environmental knowledge’ and the role of consumers and social
movements in achieving sustainability; and
Sociology of science and technology: which explores the social
shaping of individual technologies and has the potential to extend
this perspective to the evolution of larger technical systems.

7. WHAT ENERGY SOCIOLOGISTS DO?
To define the object of study for the Sociology of
Energy
To position of the Sociology of Energy within the
academic field
in relation to the environmental sciences
in relation to general social theory
To characterize the social roots of environmental
problems with the help of Sociology

8. OBJECT OF STUDY FOR ENERGY
SOCIOLOGY
Governmental
Governmental
Organizations
Organizations
Different
Environmental
Society &
Energy
Problems
Third Sector
Third Sector
Organizations
Organizations

9. POSITION IN THE ACADEMIC
FIELD
Environmental sciences
- Interdisciplinary character
- ‘normative’ orientation: help solving problems
Energy Sociology in between
General Sociology/ Social sciences
- Focus on issues of perception
- Focus on issues of consumption

10. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENERGY
SOCIAL RESEARCH
For including the social dimension of energy,
complementing the traditional criteria essentially technical
and economic
For its dimensions both theoretical and empirical
For its analysis of energy social perception and citizens-
consumer environmental awareness.
For its analysis of social practices in relationship with the
energy and its consumption.

11. SOCIAL ROOTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS
Environmental problems: Multi-causality has to be the rule
Sociology has tools to determine the social factors and dynamics
behind environmental problems.
Examples of possible social causes of environmental problems
include:
population-growth (Ehrlich)
the dominance of anthropocentric views of nature (White;
Shiva)
the rise of consumer-society (Bourdieu)
the inherent growth-dynamic of capitalism (Mol)
the globalization process (Castells, Giddens)

12. THEORIES ABOUT SOCIAL ORIGINS
OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
There are different theories to explain the social
origins of the environmental problems, but only
focus in one aspect.
We can categorizing them into four main groups,
based on the distinctions between
cultural and structural dimensions of social
systems
macro- or micro- level approach to the system

13. CULTURE AND STRUCTURE AS TWO
DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL SYSTEMS
Culture Structure
The cultural aspect of social The structural aspect of social
systems refer to the role of systems refer to the composition,
norms, values, opinions in the socio-economic rules which
the reproduction of the govern the reproduction of the
system. system.
Example: power-structure; relation
Example: religion; political
market-states-civil society; level of
conviction; opinions on the
urbanization, etc.
role of tradition, etc.
The neo- Marxist Theories about
structural factors as social causes
Classical debate between
of environmental problems:
WHITE- MONCRIEF in the 70’s
-Theory of Treadmill of Production
about the social causes of - Theory of Counter- Productivity
environmental problems

14. ‘MACRO’ AND ‘MICRO’ AS TWO LEVELS OF ANALYSIS
IN THE STUDY OF SOCIAL SYSTEMS
Macro-level Micro-level
When studying a social system When studying a social system
at the macro-level, the at the micro-level, the
emphasis is on the long-term emphasis is on the here and
development of the system as now of everyday life (e.g.
a whole. shopping for sustainable
products at the food-store).
Theories focused in cultural
and structural factors are an - Attitude – Behaviour Model
example (FISHBEIN & ATZJEN)
- Rational choice theory: the
Tragedy of the Commons of
HARDIN

15. THE ATTITUDE – BEHAVIOUR (AB) MODEL
(FISHBEIN & ATZJEN, 1975)
LIMITATIVE (STRUCTURAL)
DETERMINANTS
BACKGROUND
VARIABLES ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
ATTITUDE
ATTITUDE
OF THE
INDIVIDUAL (INCLUDING (ENVIRONMENTAL)
(ENVIRONMENTAL)
(INCLUDING
A NORMATIVE
A NORMATIVE BEHAVIOUR
BEHAVIOUR
-AGE AND
-SEX AND
-RELIGION A COGNITIVE
A COGNITIVE
-POLITICS COMPONENT)
COMPONENT)
- HABITAT
-ETC.
OPERANT BEHAVIOUR
DETERMINANTS
(ROUTINE-FACTORS)
The Attitude – Behaviour (AB) Model,
based on Van der Meer, 1981.

16. EMPIRICAL RESULTS OF
THE ACTITUDE-BEHAVIOUR MODEL
The A- B Mode has been dominant for a pretty long time in the
environmental social science research.
90’s: Criticism to the empirical results because the relationship
between attitude and behaviour is not proved: when a high
level of awareness was found, this did not predict actual
environmental behaviour in a reliable way.
People with the ‘right’ attitude still made the ‘wrong’
choices.
The Model is ‘weak’ in analysing the broader social context in
which individuals operate: is weak on structure.
It is necessary to include the role of social structure in the
analyses of individual behaviours.

17. NEW INSIGHTS IN ENERGY
SOCIAL RESEARCH
Towards an integrative model: the LIFESTYLES-
SOCIAL PRACTICES MODEL of Spaargaren.
- The focus is social, cultural and collective practices.
- Decision-making is determined by social and
cultural norms and conventions
- Social scientific theories of consumption are
relevant for understanding energy
- The appropriate focus is changing conventions of
comfort, cleanliness and convenience
- Producers and consumers are implicated in the
evolution of demand – technologies, infrastructures,
routines and habits co-evolve.

18. THE LIFESTYLES- SOCIAL PRACTICES MODEL
CITIZENS/ ..................... HUMAN ............ SOCIAL PRACTICES ........................... STRUCTURE
CONSUMERS ACTION
Analyses of conduct Institutional Analyses
EXAMPLES
Liberalization
Socio- Turn on the
demographic
variables light ADMINISTRATION
REGULATION
Households
appliances
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPANIES
AWARENESS
NATURAL
Green
Choices
RESOURCES
Dimensions of
environmental
awareness: Consumption fall: FOSSIL ENERGY
1) Sensitiveness Energy Saving
2) Knowledge RENEWABLE ENERGY
3) Disposition
4) Individual action CONSUMPTION
PRODUCTION/
5) Collective action Individual
GENERATION OF ENERGY
Consumers Associations
USE MODES ACCESS DISTRIBUTION PRODUCTION
MODES MODES MODES
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS IN PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION CICLES
BALARI, C., Adapted from SPAARGAREN.

19. MAIN CONCEPTS OF THE MODEL
SOCIAL PRACTICES & LIFESTYLE
LEVELS OF COMFORT, CLEANLINESS &
CONVENIENCE
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENES
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
COLLECTIVE SOCIO- MATERIAL SYSTEM OF
PROVISION
SOCIAL STRUCTURE

20. A PROPOSAL MODEL: SOCIAL PRACTICES OF DOMESTIC
CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRICITY
CITICENS
CONSUMERS
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
LEVELS OF COMFORT, CLEANLINESS
CONVENIENCE
ENVIRONMENT LIFESTYLES CONSUMERS
ASOCIATIONS
ASOCIATIONS
SOCIAL PRACTICES
USE AND CONSUMPTION
OF DOMESTIC
ELECTRICITY
TRADE UNIONS PROFESIONAL
ASOCIATIONS
DIRECT ENERGY INDIRECT ENERGY
GOVERNMENT & PRIVATE SECTOR
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION - FIRMS -
BALARI, C., 2005

21. MODEL ADVANTAGES TO
FORMULATE PUBLIC POLICIES
Social Practices Model is considered the most
appropriate model to study environment and to
formulate policies due to:
It is centred in concrete and common aptitudes
instead of individual ones.
It studies the possible joint initiatives for specific
groups to reduced the negative effects for
environment of their daily activities.
The process of reducing the environmental impact in
certain areas of social life is a result of well
informed and capable agents, which take
advantage of the possibilities in sight, in a context of
a specific provision system.

22. WHICH ARE THE CHALLENGES OF
THE ENERGY SOCIAL RESEARCH?
To build new theoretical models for applied
analysis
To make visible the energy for the citizens-
consumers
To determine the social practices of energy
consumption and energy saving
To contribute to the formulation of public
policies of energy saving and its evaluation

23. SOME FACTS FROM
THE 2002 ENERGY
EUROBAROMETER…
“ENERGY: ISSUES, OPTIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES. SCIENCE AND SOCIETY”
15 MEMBER STATES
February- April 2002.

24. SPANISH & EUROPEAN OPINION ABOUT
ENERGY ISSUES
Nada, estoy interesado, pero realmente no deseo ser informado sobre asuntos específicos 6
(ESPONTÁNEO) 4
6
Nada, no estoy interesado y no deseo ser informado (ESPONTÁNEO)
9
13
Cómo ahorrar energía en el trabajo
13
Perspectivas de nuevas opciones energéticas, tales como células de 27
combustible,hidrógeno, fusión nuclear, etc. 14
Las actividades de la Unión Europea en investigación energética y desarrollo
23
15
Seguridad de las centrales nucleares y de los residuos radioactivos
36
26
Conocer cuáles son las alternativas existentes a la gasolina y al diesel en los vehículos
39
29
42
Cómo utilizar fuentes de energía renovables en el hogar 44 53 60
Cómo ahorrar energía en el hogar
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
ESPAÑA UE

25. INFORMATION SOURCES ABOUT ENERGY
6
Agencias de la energía o autoridades locales
1
6
Ninguna (ESPONTÁNEO)
13
2
Otros (ESPONTÁNEOS)
3
11
Compañías eléctricas, energéticas y de gas
3
9
Revistas científicas
5
10
Internet
8
27
Radio
25
47
Periódicos y revistas generales
27 80
Televisión
72
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
ESPAÑA UE

26. INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS TO SAVE ENERGY:
PRESENT AND FUTURE
13
1. Reducir la calefacción y/o el aire acondicionado 32
15
2. Reducir la iluminación y/o el uso de las aplicaciones eléctricas domésticas 41
10
3. Aislar mi casa (paredes, ventanas, etc.) 15
4. Llevar adelante iniciativas de ahorro energético en el trabajo
6
4
5
5. Reducir los viajes 5
7
6. Reducir el combustible usado en mi coche 10
9 10
7. Comprar un coche que utilice menos
10
8. Usar más el transporte público 19
15
9. Nada 23
10. Nada, porque no siento la necesidad de hacer cualquier cosa 4
3
6
11. Nada, porque carezco de la información y los incentivos necesarios 6
12. Otros
2
1
31
13. No contesta 4
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
¿Qué ha hecho usted o está haciendo para ahorrar energía? ¿Y qué se propone usted comenzar a hacer?

27. EUROPEAN ENERGY SAVING INDEX
Dinamarca 7,68
Luxemburgo 7,53
7,28
Suecia
6,67
Alemania
6,57
Holanda
6,41
Austria
Finlandia 6,12
Bélgica 6,07
5,77
Francia
EU TOTAL 5,71
Italia 5,42
Reino Unido 5,09
Grecia 4,73
4,54
ESPAÑA
Irlanda 3,97
Portugal 3,66
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

28. SOME FACTS FROM THE
LAST ENERGY POLICY
EUROBAROMETER…
ATTITUDES ON ISSUES RELATED TO EU ENERGY POLICY
27 MEMBER STATES
February 2007.