The Nature of Decision Making in the Practice of Dwelling: A Practice Theoretical Approach to Understanding Maintenance and Retrofitting of Homes in the Context of Climate Change

ABSTRACT

In order to make existing private housing more energy efficient, various policies aim at influencing decisions made by homeowners regarding renovation and retrofitting in Scandinavia. Presenting two case studies from Denmark and Norway, we take one step back and observe the whole process of keeping a home habitable. Inspired by theories of Tim Ingold and Elizabeth Shove, we suggest calling this process “the practice of dwelling.” Rather than focusing on decisions and acts pertaining to retrofitting alone, we observe how maintenance and retrofitting are parts of an ongoing practice of dwelling. The cases demonstrate how decisions can be understood as embedded in the practice of dwelling, and how a readiness for decisions regarding retrofitting is created, or not, in this practice. We suggest shifting focus from the outcome of decisions, to attention toward the process that leads to readiness for making the decision in the first place.

KEYWORDS:

• Climate policy
• decisions
• dwelling
• energy policy
• global climate change
• home renovation
• practice theory
• refurbishment

Acknowledgments

We thank our three anonymous reviewers for valuable and helpful feedback.

Notes

Since November 19, 2012, new rules have applied to homeowners ordering PV solar panels (“Lov om ændring af lov om fremme af vedvarende energi, lov om elforsyning, lov om afgift af elektricitet og ligningsloven” 2012).