The productive potential and limits of landscape conflicts in light of Ralf Dahrendorf’s conflict theory

Ralf Dahrendorf’s conflict theory posits social conflict as, under certain circumstances, productive. Working from a constructivist view of language, we ask to what extent this applies to the conflicts currently arising around the social construct of «landscape», either from different interpretations of that concept or from different evaluations of the physical manifestations of human activity to which it refers. Are such conflicts socially productive? How can they become so? Our theoretical premises are clarified in a review of recent empirical inquiries into the German energy transition, a national undertaking which – following the political decision to exit nuclear-powered energy production by 2022 – has turned into a central field of social conflict, due to the ensuing massive growth not only of alternative power plants but also of electricity transmission networks. Regarding controversy in this context as normal, and eschewing simple solutions, we argue for the importance of recognizing opposing interests as legitimate, not categorizing opposition as per se immoral, agreeing rules of procedure, and accepting decisions that abide by those rules. Conclusions are drawn for both theory and practice

Mobilfunk ja – aber Masten und Antennen bitte nicht hier! Diskursive Aushandlungsprozesse um die Standortwahl von Sendeanlagen in Deutschland

A stable and nationwide mobile network coverage is increasingly regarded as essential. This requires an expansion of mobile networks throughout the country. However, the installation of masts and antennas has often been the subject of conflict in Germany, especially due to fears about potential health effects of electromagnetic fields. Transmitters become both a trigger and a target of social protests. From a discourse-theoretical perspective, we identify central lines of argumentation in the German cellular network conflicts. A triangulation of quantitatively oriented and qualitative analysis components forms the methodological basis. Regional case studies provide an opportunity to identify local differences. A comparison of past and recent conflicts reveals discursive shifts over time. Debates about the possible health effects of mobile radio were particularly contentious in the context of UMTS mobile phone expansion at the turn of the millennium. The (planned) installation of transmitters at the local level often sparked this discussion. During the expansion of the 5G network, in addition to the debate about the health risks of the technology, questions are now being raised about whether and to whom the expansion is necessary. Compared to the previous period of investigation, local conflicts about transmitters now appear to be less virulent and can be found primarily in southern and southwestern Germany