ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on recent developments in social theory which are trying to understand processes of change and which especially highlight the question as to which mechanisms support the emergence of, e.g., “new” organizations, markets, and social practices (see, e.g., Neil Fligstein, Doug McAdam, Harrison White, John Padgett, Walter W. Powell, and John Levi Martin). These authors share a common interest in dealing with the question as to how structures evolve. Insofar they move away from a central concern of mainstream sociology, which tries to analyze the determining and constraining effects of existing structures. They approach the topic of novelty from a relational or field perspective. If actors, organizations, and sectors are not to be assumed as given, then one must search for a deeper transformational dynamic out of which they emerge. The energy transition in Germany is a perfect example to test these new ideas. In Germany, we can clearly observe a process of a thoroughgoing transformation of the practice of producing and distributing electricity. A once hierarchically ordered, centralized system with a stable set of established key actors is turning into a more fragmented, decentralized system, formed by a variety of new actors. Some old structures have been dismantled, some have adapted to new environments, and some new ones have come into existence. This chapter will briefly introduce the main actors, the conflicts they have been engaged in, and the ensuing path of transition.
