Abstract
We present the methodology and results of a role-play game that explored energy preferences and decision making criteria for a hypothetical town. Six day-long, mixed-methods workshops focussing on public perceptions of shale gas and oil development were held with highly diverse groups in four urban locations (Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, US; London and Cardiff, UK) and two rural locations (Hirwaun and Winford, UK), N = 83. As part of the workshops, small groups of participants assumed the role of town council members and were asked to debate and rank six energy infrastructure proposals (wind, solar, nuclear, shale gas, shale oil, and coal) in order of preference; a task that stimulated energetic, in-depth discussions around preferences, decision-making criteria, conditions and trade-offs. We reflect on how role-play methodology can be used to elicit insights into the nature of complex decision-making, as well as affording participants clarity and efficacy about decisions, and providing a novel platform by which to engage with energy conundrums. We also elucidate the challenges posed by inevitable disparities between role play and reality, and those associated with materials, framings, and group dynamics. Finally, we make recommendations for extending and refining the methodology, including participant-led framing and cautious consensus building.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 363-373 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Energy Research and Social Science |
| Volume | 45 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Nov 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Funding for this research was provided by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) in Cooperative Agreement SES-0938099 and grant SES-1535193. Supplemental funding came from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no 640715, and the UK Energy Research Centre under Grant EP/L024756/1. TP also acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the “María de Maeztu” program for Units of Excellence (MDM-2015-0552). Views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of these institutions. We would like to thank all of our participants in the US and UK, without whom this research would not have been possible. We would also like to thank L. Stevenson, C. Enders, R. Sposato and E. Roberts for assistance in workshops, and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and recommendations.
Funding Information:
Funding for this research was provided by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) in Cooperative Agreement SES-0938099 and grant SES-1535193 . Supplemental funding came from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no 640715 , and the UK Energy Research Centre under Grant EP/L024756/1 . TP also acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness , through the “María de Maeztu” program for Units of Excellence ( MDM-2015-0552 ). Views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of these institutions. We would like to thank all of our participants in the US and UK, without whom this research would not have been possible. We would also like to thank L. Stevenson, C. Enders, R. Sposato and E. Roberts for assistance in workshops, and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and recommendations.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords
- Energy
- Local governance
- Public perceptions
- Role play methods
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
- Nuclear Energy and Engineering
- Fuel Technology
- Energy Engineering and Power Technology
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
