PhD defence: Nieuwe Aansluitingen?

This dissertation focuses on citizen engagement in the energy transition in general, and in Bospolder-Tussendijken (Rotterdam) in particular. As one of the pilot neighbourhoods for the energy transition in the Netherlands, Bospolder-Tussendijken is at the forefront of the shift from natural gas to sustainable energy sources. While governments emphasize the need to engage citizens in the energy transition, participation processes often fall short in terms of inclusion and lead to dissatisfaction or even conflict between citizens and governments. I start from the proposition that to better understand these dynamics in citizen engagement, more attention is needed to how interactions between citizens and practitioners are shaped. It is on this microlevel of interactions in neighbourhoods that struggles over representation and governance are negotiated and citizen engagement takes shape. 

This study therefore investigates how citizen engagement is practiced in the energy transition in Bospolder-Tussendijken, and how this influences the character of citizen engagement in this neighbourhood. Based on three years of ethnographic research into diverse citizen engagement practices in this neighbourhood, the study demonstrates how seemingly small details in the dramaturgy of engagement practices have far-reaching effects on who becomes involved in the energy transition and in what ways. I describe three dramaturgies of citizen engagement that emerged in Bospolder-Tussendijken, each producing a distinct character of citizen engagement, and reveal the micro-practices of actors that influence the in- and exclusion of citizens. This way, the study shows how attention to the dramaturgy of citizen engagement practices can contribute to understanding and improving citizen engagement in the energy transition.