社会—技术系统可持续转型研究:思路、批评、进展及反思

Sustainability Transition Studies of Socio-Technical Systems:Approaches,Criticisms,Progresses and Reflections

可持续转型研究是20世纪90年代迅速发展起来的新领域,其核心思想是研究如何实现和管理当前非可持续性的社会—技术系统根本性转变。本文在介绍该研究的4个思路基础上,结合发展过程中受到的主要批评,从转型机制的深入、行动主体、地理空间、政治和权力以及政策研究5个主题归纳其最新研究进展。研究表明:可持续转型研究不断吸收其他社会科学的洞见以修正和补充不足,使之呈现出开放和争鸣之势,但是该研究依然还面临诸多挑战,新问题需要学者进一步反思。可持续转型研究对中国的系统转型具有重要借鉴意义,将中国真正纳入全球可持续转型研究更具有深刻的理论和实践意义。

Sustainability transition research appears as a rapidly growing and influential academic field since 1990 s.The literature aims to explain how transitions of the unsustainable socio-technical systems unfold and how to govern them.This paper first introduces the frameworks of its four different approaches.Based on the confronted criticisms its newly progresses are classified with five topics in terms of deep mechanism,actors,geographic space,politics and power,and policy analysis of transition.The review shows that remarkable interdisciplinary characteristics make it open and contending.But challenges related to sustainability remain unsolved,calling for continued efforts and reflection.Sustainability transition studies provide meaningful implications to China.Meanwhile it is of theoretical and practical significance to properly bring China into global transition field.