The Energy Social System

An array of economic markets in mineral resources is being displaced by a politically dominated energy social system. International energy decisions are now part of regular diplomatic activity. Growing governmental involvement in energy activities has contributed to politicizing relations among ener...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 1979-07, Vol.444 (1), p.1-22
Main Author: Klausner, Samuel Z.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coal
Economic resources
Energy
Energy resources
Government
International relations
Mineral/Minerals/Mineralogy
Oil companies
Renewable energy
Resource/Resources
Social
Social system/Social systems
Social systems
System/Systems
United States environmental policy
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Summary:An array of economic markets in mineral resources is being displaced by a politically dominated energy social system. International energy decisions are now part of regular diplomatic activity. Growing governmental involvement in energy activities has contributed to politicizing relations among energy suppliers and energy consumers within nations. The environmental and energy social movements are expressions of conflict between social strata. Energy and environment issues are selected and acted upon in the context of this wider political confrontation. The debate between "growth" and "steady state" reflects the struggle between two forms of utopian ideology within the energy social system. Two effects of the emergence of the energy social system are: (1) a redrawing of the axes of alliance and conflict among national states and among groups within states; and (2) the reduction in the supremacy of the capitalist market as a cultural institution in favor of political action governing resource allocation.
ISSN:0002-7162
1552-3349
DOI:10.1177/000271627944400102