TY - JOUR

T1 - Efficiency and Consumption: Technology and Practice.

AU - Shove, Elizabeth

PY - 2004

Y1 - 2004

N2 - It is probably true that energy policy has paid more attention to resources and resource efficiencies than to overall consumption. Partly because of this, more needs to be done to conceptualise the dynamics of consumer demand. In this article I take stock of what sociological theories of consumption, technology and practice might contribute to energy and environmental policy. Recent research on a) the future of comfort and b) sustainable domestic technology is used to illustrate and elaborate on the part that technical systems (efficient and otherwise) play in redefining concepts of service and thereby structuring patterns of resource consumption.

AB - It is probably true that energy policy has paid more attention to resources and resource efficiencies than to overall consumption. Partly because of this, more needs to be done to conceptualise the dynamics of consumer demand. In this article I take stock of what sociological theories of consumption, technology and practice might contribute to energy and environmental policy. Recent research on a) the future of comfort and b) sustainable domestic technology is used to illustrate and elaborate on the part that technical systems (efficient and otherwise) play in redefining concepts of service and thereby structuring patterns of resource consumption.

U2 - 10.1260/0958305043026555

DO - 10.1260/0958305043026555

M3 - Journal article

VL - 15

SP - 1053

EP - 1065

JO - Energy and Environment

JF - Energy and Environment

IS - 6

ER -