Date of Award
2021
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental and Energy Policy (PhD)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Social Sciences
Advisor 1
Chelsea Schelly
Committee Member 1
Kathleen E. Halvorsen
Committee Member 2
Kristin Floress
Committee Member 3
David Watkins
Abstract
This dissertation addresses household consumption by advancing understandings of complex material, social, and regulatory structures that have a bearing on the future of sustainable and resilient practices at the residential scale in the United States. Interviews with 44 households in the U.S. were conducted to learn about perceptions of food, energy, and water consumption. Chapters two, three, and four utilize grounded theory and theories of practice. This inquiry yielded insights into social dynamics of household consumption, how human and more-than-human actors influence each other’s consumption, and how infrastructure and social class are interrelated. Chapter five is a policy maker’s guidebook, inspired by the interviews, to help small municipalities adopt ordinances that encourage sustainable practices on residential properties and to improve household consumption. The results of this research have implications for recognizing, shifting, and developing new sustainable and resilient practices in households.
Recommended Citation
Lytle, William, "THE PERCEPTIONS, PRACTICES, AND POLICIES THAT GOVERN FOOD, ENERGY, AND WATER CONSUMPTION IN THE U.S. SUBURBAN HOME: “MORE THAN MY FAIR SHARE”", Open Access Dissertation, Michigan Technological University, 2021.