Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This thesis investigates the discourse between users of the r/Solarpunk subreddit concerning the sociotechnical imaginary of Solarpunk. Solarpunk is a grassroots, community and artistic movement that aims to reimagine an optimistic future in balance with nature with the aid of technology and innovation. Understanding the discourse of Solarpunk may help gain insights on real-world sociotechnical transitions and the construction of a sustainable future. Furthermore, it exemplifies, how a desirable, sustainable future can be discussed and envisioned collaboratively. A significant part of the Solarpunk discourse takes place on the free online platform Reddit. Therefore, a qualitative discourse analysis guided by the theory of sociotechnical imaginaries was applied to analyse the negotiation process of r/Solarpunk users regarding optimistic future scenarios, the representation of the ecological crises and the self-identification with Solarpunk values. Reddit posts and comments of the thread r/Solarpunk were analysed in a three-step, iterative coding process. Four themes emerged: optimism through technology and innovation, optimism through community and collective agency, representation of the ecological crises and the negotiation of Solarpunk values. Findings show that users rely on technology to maintain their optimism, however tensions exist between users regarding the harmfulness of technologies. Collective agency is another main source of optimism for Solarpunk users. The ecological crises, like climate change or biodiversity loss, are not explicitly named in the analysed empirical material, potentially to avoid doomism. Lastly, users identify with grassroots, innovative and anti-hegemonic values and emphasise their vision of a Solarpunk society. The thesis demonstrates the importance of optimistic visions of the future, the positive connotations towards technology and innovation and the crucial role of community for a sustainable transition.