The politics of models: Socio-political discourses in modeling of energy transition and transnational trade policies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.32.1.49Keywords:
policy modeling, discourses, energy transition, trade policyAbstract
In this article, we discuss the (re)production of socio-political discourses in two modeling communities, energy transition and transnational trade. Methodologically, we build on bibliometric and qualitative analyses of academic articles. Our analyses show how models structure epistemic communities and are closely linked to specific discourses. The modeling of the energy transition is driven by and contributes to discourses on mitigating climate change and access to energy. Different trade models address either multilateral or regional trade, yet in each case favoring international trade. Overall, we illustrate how the ‘politics of models’ does not only concern their use at the science-policy interface, but is already inscribed in their development, application, and scientific exploitation. These analyses may help experts, policy makers, and the public to better assess the knowledge claims and evidence politics of computer modeling.
References
Adaramola, Muyiwa; Agelin-Chaab, Martin; Paul, Samuel (2014): Analysis of hybrid energy systems for application in southern Ghana. In: Energy Conversion and Management 88, pp. 284–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2014.08.029 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2014.08.029
Brown, Drusilla; Deardorff, Alan; Stern, Robert (2003): Multilateral, regional and bilateral trade-policy options for the United States and Japan. In: World Economy 26 (6), pp. 803–828. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9701.00549 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9701.00549
Demortain, David (2017): Expertise, regulatory science and the evaluation of technology and risk. Introduction to the special issue. In: Minerva 55 (2), pp. 139–159. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9701.00549 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-017-9325-1
Estrada, Mario; Park, Donghyun (2018): The past, present and future of policy modeling. In: Journal of Policy Modeling 40 (1), pp. 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpolmod.2018.01.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpolmod.2018.01.003
Grant, Jason; Lambert, Dayton (2008): Do regional trade agreements increase members’ agricultural trade? In: American Journal of Agricultural Economics 90 (3), pp. 765–782. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8276.2008.01134.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8276.2008.01134.x
Hafez, Omar; Bhattacharya, Kankar (2012): Optimal planning and design of a renewable energy based supply system for microgrids. In: Renewable Energy 45, pp. 7–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2012.01.087 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2012.01.087
Hajer, Maarten; Pelzer, Peter (2018): 2050 – An energetic odyssey. Understanding ‘techniques of futuring’ in the transition towards renewable energy. In: Energy Research & Social Science 44, pp. 222–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.01.013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.01.013
Hajer, Maarten (1997): The politics of environmental discourse: Ecological modernization and the policy process. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/019829333x.001.0001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/019829333X.001.0001
Knorr-Cetina, Karin (2007): Culture in global knowledge societies. Knowledge cultures and epistemic cultures. In: Interdisciplinary Science Reviews 32 (4), pp. 361–375. https://doi.org/10.1179/030801807X163571 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/030801807X163571
Ma, Tao; Østergaard, Poul; Lund, Henrik; Yang, Hongxing; Lu, Lin (2014): An energy system model for Hong Kong in 2020. In: Energy 68, pp. 301–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2014.02.096 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2014.02.096
Oomen, Jeroen; Hoffman, Jesse; Hajer, Maarten (2022): Techniques of futuring. On how imagined futures become socially performative. In: European Journal of Social Theory 25 (2), pp. 252–270. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431020988826 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431020988826
Piermartini, Roberta; Teh, Robert (2005): Demystifying modelling methods for trade policy. WTO Discussion Paper, No. 10. Available online at https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/107045/1/wto-discussion-paper_10.pdf, last accessed on 04. 02. 2023.
Pollitt, Hector (2018): What is macroeconomic modelling? And why do we do it? Available online at https://www.camecon.com/blog/what-is-macroeconomic-modelling-and-why-do-it/, last accessed on 04. 02. 2023.
Shackley, Simon; Wynne, Brian (1996): Representing uncertainty in global climate change science and policy. Boundary-ordering devices and authority. In: Science, Technology, & Human Values 21 (3), pp. 275–302. https://doi.org/10.1177/016224399602100302 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/016224399602100302
Soloaga, Isidro; Winters, Alan (2001): Regionalism in the nineties. What effect on trade? In: The North American Journal of Economics and Finance 12 (1), pp. 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1062-9408(01)00042-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1062-9408(01)00042-0
Strachan, Neil; Kannan, Ramachandran (2008): Hybrid modelling of long-term carbon reduction scenarios for the UK. In: Energy Economics 30 (6), pp. 2947–2963. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2008.04.009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2008.04.009
Svetlova, Ekaterina (2012): On the performative power of financial models. In: Economy and Society 41 (3), pp. 418–434. https://doi.org/10.1080/03085147.2011.616145 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03085147.2011.616145
van der Heide, Arjen (2020): Model migration and rough edges. British actuaries and the ontologies of modelling. In: Social Studies of Science 50 (1), pp. 121–144. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306312719893465 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0306312719893465
van Eck, Nees; Waltman, Ludo (2013): VOSviewer manual. Available online at https://www.vosviewer.com/documentation/Manual_VOSviewer_1.5.4.pdf, last accessed on 04. 02. 2023.
van Eck, Nees; Waltman, Ludo (2014): Visualizing bibliometric networks. In: Ying Ding, Ronald Rousseau and Dietmar Wolfram (eds.): Measuring scholarly impact. Methods and practice. Cham: Springer, pp. 285–320. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10377-8_13 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10377-8_13
Zeiss, Ragna; van Egmond, Stans (2014): Dissolving decision making? Models and their roles in decision-making processes and policy at large. In: Science in Context 27 (4), pp. 631–657. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0269889714000234 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0269889714000234
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Titus Udrea, Leo Capari, Anja Bauer
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
