New Repertoires of Contention and Social Mobilisation: Shifting Dynamics of Civic Stratification and the Marketisation of Social Justice in the Energy Transition, 2023-2024

This project utilised comparative case studies in the United Kingdom and Australia to explore how new, technologically-enabled, transnational repertoires of social mobilisation contribute to the shifting dynamics of civic stratification in the age of uncertainty. It interrogated the relationship between the state, the market, individuals and civil society in the politics of the energy transition, specifically focusing on transitions from fossil fuels to sustainable post-carbon resources. Interviews were undertaken with activists in national and local campaign groups and local stakeholders in case study areas in Australia and the United Kingdom.<p>WISERD celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Over time it has grown into an international research institute that develops the next generation of research leaders. Our research brings together different disciplines (geographers, economists, sociologists, data scientists, political scientists) to address important issues for civil society at national and international levels. Our social science core provides a strong foundation for working with other disciplines including environmental science, engineering and medicine to transform our understanding and approaches to key areas of public concern. Our aim is to provide evidence that informs and changes policy and practice. This Centre will build on all previous WISERD research activities to undertake an ambitious new research programme. Our focus will be on the concept of civic stratification. This is a way of looking at divisions in society by focusing on the rights and obligations and practices of citizens and the role of civil society organisations in addressing inequalities in those rights and obligations. We will examine and analyse instances where people do not have the same rights as others (for example people who are migrants or refugees). We will also look at examples of people and groups working together within civil society to win new rights; this is referred to as civic expansion. Examples might include campaigns for animal rights or concerns about robots and Artificial Intelligence. We will investigate situations where people have the same rights but experience differences in their ability to access those rights; sometimes referred to as civic gain and civic loss (for example some people are better able to access legal services than others). Lastly, we will explore how individuals and groups come together to overcome deficits in their rights and citizenship; sometimes referred to as forms of civil repair. This might include ways in which people are looking at alternative forms of economic organisation, at local sustainability and at using new technologies (platforms and software) to organise and campaign for their rights. Our centre will deliver across four key areas of activity. First our research programme will focus on themes that address the different aspects of civic stratification. We will examine trends in polarization of economic, political and social rights, looking at how campaigns for rights are changing and undertaking case studies of attempts to repair the fabric of civil life. Second, we will extend and deepen our international and civil society research partnerships and networks and by doing so strengthen our foundations for developing further joint research in the future. Third, we will implement an exciting and accessible 'knowledge exchange' programme to enable our research and evidence to reach, involve and influence as many people as possible. Fourth, we will expand the capacity of social science research and nurture future research leaders. All our research projects will be jointly undertaken with key partners including civil society organisations, such as charities, and local communities. The research programme is broad and will include the collection of new data, the exploitation of existing data sources and linking existing sets of data. The data will range from local detailed studies to large cross-national comparisons. We will make the most of our skills and abilities to work with major RCUK research investments. We have an outstanding track record in maximising research impact, in applying a wide range of research methods to real world problems. This exciting and challenging research programme is based on a unique, long standing and supportive relationship between five core universities in Wales and our partnerships with universities and research institutes in the UK and internationally. It addresses priority areas identified by the ESRC and by governments and is informed by our continued close links with civil society organisations.</p>本项目采用英国与澳大利亚的比较案例研究，探究不确定性时代，新兴的、由技术赋能的跨国社会动员范式如何推动公民分层（civic stratification）的动态变迁。本研究探析了能源转型政治中国家、市场、个体与公民社会之间的关系，特别聚焦于从化石燃料向可持续低碳资源的转型。研究对英国与澳大利亚案例区域内的全国性及地方性运动团体的活动人士，以及当地利益相关者开展了访谈。 WISERD今年喜迎十周年华诞。十余年来，该机构已发展为一所国际科研院所，致力于培育下一代科研领军人才。我们的研究汇聚多学科力量——涵盖地理学家、经济学家、社会学家、数据科学家与政治学家——旨在解决国家及国际层面公民社会面临的重大议题。本中心的社会科学研究核心为跨学科合作奠定坚实基础，合作领域涵盖环境科学、工程学与医学等，以深化我们对公众关切的关键领域的认知与研究路径。本中心的目标是提供能够为政策制定与实践优化提供依据的实证证据。 本中心将依托WISERD过往所有研究成果，开展一项极具雄心的全新研究计划。我们的研究核心聚焦于公民分层（civic stratification）这一概念：该视角通过关注公民的权利、义务与实践，以及公民社会组织在解决此类权利与义务不平等问题中发挥的作用，来审视社会分化。我们将分析不同群体权利不均等的案例——例如移民或难民群体；同时也将检视公民社会内部群体携手争取新权利的实践，这一过程被称为公民拓展（civic expansion），相关案例可包括动物权利运动或对机器人与人工智能（Artificial Intelligence）的关切议题。我们还将探究群体虽享有同等权利，却在权利获取能力上存在差异的情形，这类情况有时被称为公民增益与公民流失（civic gain and civic loss）——例如部分群体相较他人更易获得法律服务。最后，我们将探索个体与群体如何联合起来，弥补自身在权利与公民身份层面的缺失，这一过程有时被称为公民修复（civil repair），相关实践可包括探索新型经济组织形式、关注本地可持续发展，以及借助新兴技术（平台与软件）来组织活动、为自身权利发声。 本中心将在四大核心业务领域开展工作：其一，研究计划将围绕公民分层的不同维度展开主题研究，我们将分析经济、政治与社会权利的极化趋势，探究权利倡导运动的变革路径，并开展案例研究以剖析修复公民生活肌理的各类尝试。其二，我们将拓展并深化国际与公民社会研究伙伴关系及网络，以此夯实未来开展更多联合研究的基础。其三，我们将推出极具吸引力且易于参与的“知识交流”计划，让我们的研究成果与实证证据能够触达、吸引并影响尽可能广泛的群体。其四，我们将扩充社会科学研究能力，培育未来的科研领军人才。 所有研究项目都将与包括慈善机构在内的公民社会组织及地方社区在内的核心合作伙伴联合开展。本研究计划范畴广泛，涵盖新数据采集、现有数据源的开发利用，以及多数据集的关联整合。研究数据将覆盖从本地化精细研究到大型跨国比较研究的全谱系。我们将充分发挥自身优势，配合英国研究理事会（RCUK）的重大科研投入开展工作。我们在最大化研究影响力、运用多元研究方法解决现实世界问题方面拥有卓越的过往业绩。 这项极具吸引力与挑战性的研究计划，依托威尔士五所核心大学之间长期且紧密的独特合作关系，以及我们与英国及国际范围内高校与科研院所的合作伙伴网络。本计划响应了经济与社会研究理事会（ESRC）及各国政府确定的优先研究领域，同时也得益于我们与公民社会组织持续保持的密切联系。