Descriptif
Overview of course
Lecturer: Claire Le Renard, PhD, Research scientist at the Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées - IPP
Under the banner of "energy transition", energy-related stakes and issues stand high on the media and public policy agenda. But when it comes to the implementation of this transition, many debates and controversies arise. Energy issues engage a wealth of different actors and sectors, far beyond the technical developments. In the words of a student (March 2019), “people today literally inhabit energy systems”.
Since the spring of 2018, when a first version of this syllabus was written, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased by more than 2 ppm per year. The winter 2018-2019 was a time of debate about fuel taxation, (car) mobility, infrastructures, and climate change mitigation policies in France, triggered by a working-class mobilisation making themselves visible with their yellow safety vests. The COVID-19 crisis has shaken economies, but also the realm of the possible, and it opens up so many questions that much of the existing literature might seem outdated. Since then, the rise in electoral support for far-right parties has been accompanied by rollbacks in environmental policies.
Yet the rationale behind this course affirms that state-of-the-art research in sociology and political science can provide valuable insights to understand ongoing change processes. We will engage with relationships between science, technology, society and policies in the energy and environment sector. We will support our understanding of their complex interplay with theories accounting for inertia or change, explaining dynamics, resting on case studies in the energy sector, in several countries and time periods.
This course is based on inputs from Science and Technology Studies (STS), a branch of sociology and history devoted to the study of science and technology issues, as well as insights from the sociology of opinion, and public policy analysis focusing on energy issues. This seminar has been enriched with students’ questions about the process of socio-technical change, engaging with policy and society. How much can past or recent insights about inertia and change inform us about what is currently going on?
The seminar is participatory and interactive, and students are welcome to share their insights and thoughts. Some debates will take place in the class. The first sessions are completely defined, but then outline of the course leaves some space to deal with the students’ main concerns and the program can be adjusted. The course may include collective enquiries inspired by recent or ongoing events.
Objectifs pédagogiques
At the end of the seminar, students will:
- be able to consider past and present “energy transitions” with a sociological point of view;
- be familiar with some theories accounting for stability and/or change regarding socio-technical developments;
- understand major determinants of environmental change and inertia,
- grasp the concepts of "public of a problem" and social stratification with regard to environmental issues,
- be able to analyse the questions of justice raised by low-carbon energy projects,
- be trained to read the most significant elements of a non-fiction text in a (short) given time, and taking part in the conversation about the text by preparing a short comment or question to share about it.
effectifs minimal / maximal:
/25Diplôme(s) concerné(s)
- MScT-Internet of Things : Innovation and Management Program (IoT)
- MScT-Energy Environment : Science Technology & Management
- MScT-Data and Economics for Public Policy (DEPP)
- MScT-Cybersecurity (CyS)
- MScT-Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Visual Computing
- MScT-Economics for Smart Cities and Climate Policy
- MScT-Environmental Engineering and Sustainability Management
- MScT-Economics, Data Analytics and Corporate Finance
- MScT-Data Science and AI for Business
- MScT-Visual Computing and Creative AI
Parcours de rattachement
- MScT IOT - Semestre 3
- MScT IOT - Semestre 1
- MScT DSAIB - Semestre 1
- MScT EDACF - Semestre 1
- MScT EESM - Semestre 1
- MScT CyS - Semestre 1
- MScT CyS - Semestre 3
- MScT STEEM - Semestre 1
- MScT STEEM - Semestre 3
- MScT ESCLiP - Semestre 3
- MScT DEPP - Semestre 1
- MScT EESM - Semestre 3
- MScT ESCLiP - Semestre 1
- MScT AI-ViC - Semestre 1
- MScT AI-ViC - Semestre 3
- MScT DEPP - Semestre 2
Objectifs de développement durable
ODD 16 Paix, justice et institutions efficaces, ODD13 Mesures relatives à la lutte contre les changements climatiques, ODD 11 Villes et communautés durables, ODD 10 Inégalités réduites, ODD 9 Industrie, Innovation et Infrastructure, ODD 8 Travail décent et croissance économique, ODD 7 Energie propre et d’un coût abordable, ODD 6 Eau propre et assainissement, ODD 1 Pas de pauvreté.Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Internet of Things : Innovation and Management Program (IoT)
None
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Energy Environment : Science Technology & Management
None
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Data and Economics for Public Policy (DEPP)
None
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Cybersecurity (CyS)
None
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Visual Computing
None
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Economics for Smart Cities and Climate Policy
None
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Environmental Engineering and Sustainability Management
None
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Economics, Data Analytics and Corporate Finance
None
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Data Science and AI for Business
None
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Visual Computing and Creative AI
None
Format des notes
Numérique sur 20Littérale/grade réduitPour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Visual Computing and Creative AI
Vos modalités d'acquisition :
20 % : multiple-choice test before week 6
10 % : homework on local consequences of low-carbon imaginaries
50 % : Class presentation of the main points of a research article (from session 3 on) or mini-project, individually or in pairs, in a 15 minute frame.
10 % : Individual participation in the seminar
10 % : Group note - quality of discussion in the seminar
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Internet of Things : Innovation and Management Program (IoT)
Vos modalités d'acquisition :
20 % : multiple-choice test before week 6
10 % : homework on local consequences of low-carbon imaginaries
50 % : Class presentation of the main points of a research article (from session 3 on) or mini-project, individually or in pairs, in a 15 minute frame.
10 % : Individual participation in the seminar
10 % : Group note - quality of discussion in the seminar
Le rattrapage est autorisé (Note de rattrapage conservée)- Crédits ECTS acquis : 1.5 ECTS
La note obtenue rentre dans le calcul de votre GPA.
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Cybersecurity (CyS)
Vos modalités d'acquisition :
20 % : multiple-choice test before week 6
10 % : homework on local consequences of low-carbon imaginaries
50 % : Class presentation of the main points of a research article (from session 3 on) or mini-project, individually or in pairs, in a 15 minute frame.
10 % : Individual participation in the seminar
10 % : Group note - quality of discussion in the seminar
Le rattrapage est autorisé (Note de rattrapage conservée)- Crédits ECTS acquis : 1.5 ECTS
La note obtenue rentre dans le calcul de votre GPA.
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Environmental Engineering and Sustainability Management
Vos modalités d'acquisition :
20 % : multiple-choice test before week 6
10 % : homework on local consequences of low-carbon imaginaries
50 % : Class presentation of the main points of a research article (from session 3 on) or mini-project, individually or in pairs, in a 15 minute frame.
10 % : Individual participation in the seminar
10 % : Group note - quality of discussion in the seminar
Le rattrapage est autorisé (Note de rattrapage conservée)- Crédits ECTS acquis : 1.5 ECTS
La note obtenue rentre dans le calcul de votre GPA.
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Economics, Data Analytics and Corporate Finance
Vos modalités d'acquisition :
20 % : multiple-choice test before week 6
10 % : homework on local consequences of low-carbon imaginaries
50 % : Class presentation of the main points of a research article (from session 3 on) or mini-project, individually or in pairs, in a 15 minute frame.
10 % : Individual participation in the seminar
10 % : Group note - quality of discussion in the seminar
Le rattrapage est autorisé (Note de rattrapage conservée)- Crédits ECTS acquis : 1.5 ECTS
La note obtenue rentre dans le calcul de votre GPA.
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Energy Environment : Science Technology & Management
Vos modalités d'acquisition :
20 % : multiple-choice test before week 6
10 % : homework on local consequences of low-carbon imaginaries
50 % : Class presentation of the main points of a research article (from session 3 on) or mini-project, individually or in pairs, in a 15 minute frame.
10 % : Individual participation in the seminar
10 % : Group note - quality of discussion in the seminar
Le rattrapage est autorisé (Note de rattrapage conservée)- Crédits ECTS acquis : 1.5 ECTS
La note obtenue rentre dans le calcul de votre GPA.
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Visual Computing
Vos modalités d'acquisition :
20 % : multiple-choice test before week 6
10 % : homework on local consequences of low-carbon imaginaries
50 % : Class presentation of the main points of a research article (from session 3 on) or mini-project, individually or in pairs, in a 15 minute frame.
10 % : Individual participation in the seminar
10 % : Group note - quality of discussion in the seminar
Le rattrapage est autorisé (Note de rattrapage conservée)- Crédits ECTS acquis : 1.5 ECTS
La note obtenue rentre dans le calcul de votre GPA.
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Economics for Smart Cities and Climate Policy
Vos modalités d'acquisition :
20 % : multiple-choice test before week 6
10 % : homework on local consequences of low-carbon imaginaries
50 % : Class presentation of the main points of a research article (from session 3 on) or mini-project, individually or in pairs, in a 15 minute frame.
10 % : Individual participation in the seminar
10 % : Group note - quality of discussion in the seminar
Le rattrapage est autorisé (Note de rattrapage conservée)- Crédits ECTS acquis : 1.5 ECTS
La note obtenue rentre dans le calcul de votre GPA.
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Data Science and AI for Business
Vos modalités d'acquisition :
20 % : multiple-choice test before week 6
10 % : homework on local consequences of low-carbon imaginaries
50 % : Class presentation of the main points of a research article (from session 3 on) or mini-project, individually or in pairs, in a 15 minute frame.
10 % : Individual participation in the seminar
10 % : Group note - quality of discussion in the seminar
Le rattrapage est autorisé (Note de rattrapage conservée)- Crédits ECTS acquis : 1.5 ECTS
La note obtenue rentre dans le calcul de votre GPA.
Pour les étudiants du diplôme MScT-Data and Economics for Public Policy (DEPP)
Vos modalités d'acquisition :
20 % : multiple-choice test before week 6
10 % : homework on local consequences of low-carbon imaginaries
50 % : Class presentation of the main points of a research article (from session 3 on) or mini-project, individually or in pairs, in a 15 minute frame.
10 % : Individual participation in the seminar
10 % : Group note - quality of discussion in the seminar
Le rattrapage est autorisé (Note de rattrapage conservée)- Crédits ECTS acquis : 1.5 ECTS
Programme détaillé
Session overview
1 About energy and its multiple qualities. An introduction to the course and a hands-on experiment.
2 About sociology. Energy consumption and inequalities. French and European current situation. Building our conceptual toolbox in sociology
3 About "transition". Shock of the Anthropocene, inertia and embeddedness.
4 Infrastructure, discourses and "things": the case of nuclear power
5 The siting of renewable energy sources and the issue of justice
6 “Transition” in the market: Innovation-driven responses, the economy of technoscientific promises and the ‘users’
7 “Transitioning away...” the nettle of decarbonisation by consuming less or phasing-out technological systems.
8 Introduction to political science: "technical democracy" and energy justice
9 Policies of energy sufficiency: discourses, instruments, policy turn?