Long-term country-level evidence of major but uneven ruptures in the landscape of industrial modernity
Laur Kanger (University of Sussex, University of Tartu)
Peeter Tinits (University of Tartu)
Anna-Kati Pahker (University of Tartu)
Kati Orru (University of Tartu)
Aro Velmet (University of Southern California, University of Tartu)
Silver Sillak (Aalborg University, University of Tartu)
Artjoms Šeļa (University of Tartu, Polish Academy of Sciences)
Olaf Mertelsmann (University of Tartu)
Erki Tammiksaar (University of Tartu, Estonian University of Life Sciences)
Kristiina Vaik (University of Tartu)
Caetano C.R. Penna (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
Amaresh Kumar Tiwari (University of Tartu)
Kalmer Lauk (University of Tartu)
More Info
expand_more
Abstract
In order to address global environmental challenges many currently dominant societal ideas, institutions and practices related to the natural environment, science, technology and innovation need to be fundamentally rethought. Drawing on the recent Deep Transitions framework, this paper focuses on whether such shifts in the fabric of industrial societies can be detected during the past 120 years. Combining the text mining of newspapers with data from existing databases, we present empirical evidence on nine pervasive and durable traits of industrial societies from five G20 countries. We detect a sea-change in environmental discourse from the 1960s and an institutional rupture from the 1980s, but only a minor shift in practices. In contrast, technoscientific institutions have changed far less, whereas techno-optimist discourse has resurged in recent decades. In addition to alleviating environmental problems, we suggest that more attention should be turned to rethinking many societally dominant assumptions about science and technology.