A Dramaturgy of Critical Moments in Transition: Understanding the dynamics of conflict in socio-political change

Transitions are processes of major change and often come with conflict. Conflict is usually conceptualized in terms of the interaction between incumbents and newcomers. So far there has been limited attention for the complex and multi-dimensional nature of conflict and its, potentially, productive relation to transformative change. In this paper we aim to approach the analysis of conflict in transition processes in a dynamic way. To do so, we develop an approach that is inspired by recent conceptual contributions to the fields of sustainability transitions and discourse analysis, taking into account dramaturgy and the influence of settings in which the conflicts are played out.
We study the case of ridesharing in Indonesia and the dynamics of conflict that accompanied the emergence of digital innovations in mobility services. The case study draws on four months of fieldwork (Jan-Apr 2019), analysis of meeting notes from the Ministry of Transport (2015-2018), semi-structured interviews with 23 key actors and ethnographic observations. Our case study illustrates the emergence of a mobility alternative and the ensuing struggle of multiple storylines to restructure incumbent regimes in urban mobility transitions. We regard the Indonesian political and legal landscapes as well as the streetscape of Indonesian cities as arenas of conflict during the introduction of digital ridesharing innovations. Controversy, protest and decision-making dilemmas are core elements in shaping the trajectory of these innovations as part of wider transition processes. The Indonesian government has attempted to introduce multiple ad-hoc policies to regulate ridesharing, but this has not resulted in a closure to a permanent settlement.
Throughout our analysis we use the notion of ‘critical moments’ to be able to deepen the analysis on particular short timespans when change occurs. To gain an in-depth understanding of these critical moments we look at discursive enactment and mobilize dramaturgical analysis – a form of discursive analysis that stresses not only what is being said and by whom, but also how and where discourses are performed. We show how the complexity and the multi-dimensional nature of conflict gradually changes the relationship between conflicting actors as well as the unfolding transition pathways. Therefore, we argue that: (1) multi-dimensional conflict analysis could be beneficial for transition studies to further develop the field’s understanding of transition dynamics; (2) the dramaturgy perspective can provide a useful framework and shed new light on conflictual analyses of transitions; and (3) critical moments are a promising unit of analysis of conflicts in transition studies.