The Green Transition in Arendal: A Case Study of Socio-Technical Imaginaries and Development Strategies
Master thesis
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https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3144127Utgivelsesdato
2024Metadata
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Sammendrag
This master's thesis wants to investigate how the EU's discourses on green transition affectsocio-technical imaginaries and exogenous development strategies in local developmentprojects. Morrow Batteries chose Arendal as its location for the establishment of a batteryfactory, and it is expected that this project will have a significant impact on Arendal as amunicipality, both socially, economically and environmentally. In such a large developmentprocess, it is interesting to see which discourses and arguments influence such anestablishment, and how the various dynamics between international organizations and actorsinfluence at municipal level. The purpose of the research is thus to understand how localdevelopment strategies are influenced by dominant discourses about sustainability and greentransition, and what significance this has for local development in Arendal municipality.The thesis' theoretical framework mainly consists of three theoretical perspectives: Discoursetheory to understand how language and communication shape and construct a hegemonicstructure in the green transition, socio-technical imaginaries to explore collective visions andexpectations around technological initiatives and their societal impact, and exogenousdevelopment strategies for to examine the importance of external resources in local andregional development, and how global and local trends and dynamics are connected. Toanswer the research questions, the thesis uses a qualitative approach through document anddiscourse analysis, semi-structured interviews and participant observation. This triangulationmethod provides extensive insight into various stakeholders' perspectives and attitudestowards the Morrow Batteries project, and also a deeper knowledge of the subject matter inthe thesis. The assignment is based on data from semi-structured interviews with three keypeople, document analysis of articles, interviews and letters to readers in local newspapers, afilm recording of a digital public meeting as well as participant observation at seminarsrelated to Morrow Batteries. These sources provide a good basis for information andnarratives that illuminate the research questions.The findings in the thesis presents how socio-technical imaginaries in Arendal reflect broaderdiscourses about green transition defined by global actors such as the EU, and that thesediscourses have a major influence on which development strategies local authorities use in theface of green industry and development.