Event Details

Infrastructures exist in the background of everyday life.  In this talk, Prof. Elizabeth Shove brings them into the spotlight.

The purpose is to show how infrastructures and social practices intersect and change and to show what an important topic this is for sociology.

Elizabeth is known for her distinctive contributions to Practice Theory (a theoretical ‘family’ which includes Giddens’ concepts of structuration as well as Bourdieu’s understanding of practice), and for using these ideas to inform interventions in climate change policy – arguing for an influx of social theory and for moving beyond dominant paradigms of ‘attitude, behaviour and choice’ to benefit from broader social theories (2010).

She also believes that fun is a crucial element of academic enquiry.

The ‘Big Questions’ series of summer seminars is hosted by the Department of Sociology at Lancaster University. Attendees will be able to submit questions for Elizabeth through a text chat space during the event.

Once you have registered, you’ll receive an email with information of how to join this online event. It may be worth adding visitus@lancaster.ac.uk to your list of safe senders to ensure your confirmation is sent to your inbox.

If for some reason you haven’t received an email or are encountering problems joining in online, please contact visitus@lancaster.ac.uk or visit our Webinar Help Page.

Related reading: Shove, E. (2010). Beyond the ABC: Climate Change Policy and Theories of Social Change. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 42(6), 1273–1285. https://doi.org/10.1068/a42282 Rinkinen, J., Shove, E. and Torriti, J. (Eds) (2019) Energy Fables: Challenging ideas in the energy sector. London: Routledge. Shove, E. and Trentmann, F. (Eds) (2018) Infrastructures in practice: the dynamics of demand in networked Societies. London: Routledge. Hui, A. Shove, E. and Schatzki, T. (Eds) (2016) The Nexus of Practices: Connections, constellations, practitioners, London: Routledge. Shove, E., Pantzar, M., and Watson, M. (2012) The Dynamics of Social Practice: Everyday life and how it changes London: Sage.