Gendered Energy – Analytical perspectives and potentials of gender research for a social-ecological transformation of “Energiewende” in space

Abstract

The “Energiewende” (energy transition) is an im-portant transformation process changing spaces both mate-rially and symbolically. Making this change sustainable is one of the biggest challenges on the way to a post-fossil society. To meet these challenges in its areas of responsibility means for spatial planning to take into account in particular changed actor constellations, the emergence of new energy systems, energy landscapes and spatial relationships. How-ever, both the implementation of the new planning tasks as well as the planning research on energy transition are only just at the beginning. Clearly, planning instruments will have to be adapted and developed procedurally and substantially.We propose that linking the debate on the Energiewende that takes place in spatial research and planning science to analytical aspects of sustainability-related gender research will achieve a yet untapped potential for transforming energy systems towards sustainable development. Using results from gender studies and research into the social ecology of sustainability, we define gender in four ways, as differential, as structure, as process and as epistemological category. Drawing upon these concepts we ask what “blind spots”, justice and democracy deficits as well as manorial handling with nature can be made visible. The aim of the paper is to gain transformation knowledge for an emancipatory (re-)design of energy transition in space as well as new prospects for planning science on energy transition.