Acta Sociologica, published online 15.07.2025. DOI: 10.1177/0001699325135
This article analyzes how upper-class and working-class individuals in Oslo, Norway, orient themselves toward environmental values through their energy practices.
Using a model of eco-habitus, this article identifies five groups that demonstrate distinct ways of discussing and engaging in eco-friendly energy practices. The results show that privileged groups exhibit a form of eco-habitus marked by environmental concern and technological optimism. However, implementing technological changes does not necessarily challenge contemporary standards of consumption due to rebound effects. Less privileged groups, while skeptical of environmental concerns, engage in low-impact energy practices that rely less on material consumption. However, these groups are potentially not readily recognized as sustainable consumers. This indicates that eco-friendly energy practices can reproduce hierarchical structures.
Moreover, the analysis illustrates that expressions of environmental concern are affected by material conditions, such as residential constraints (e.g. living in apartments vs. detached houses) and the energy system's context. Hence, the article argues that studying social practices regarding material conditions is fruitful for understanding the nuances of eco-habitus. This approach offers a more contextually grounded analysis than when eco-habitus is discussed as a material expression of an emergent field of environmentalism, which could gloss over contexts that shape these practices.
