This chapter examines the paradoxical success of the most demanding form of market integration, the Single Market established in 1992, which is based on the federalisation of numerous pieces of legislation. It is surprising that twelve European states, among the richest in the world, felt the need to link their markets so closely, even though they could have perfectly well continued alone. The creation of a unified market gradually became the central aspect of European cooperation between 1919 (when Keynes first aired his ideas on this topic) and 1957. The countermodel of the British-style free trade area (FTA) emerged as a major alternative but it failed. A genuine Single Market was established in the late 1980s. It had three striking features. First, it was put in place quickly between 1987 and 1992, enabling the unprecedented opening of the Union’s internal borders. Second, liberalisation was accompanied by enhanced regulation, in accordance with the oxymoron ‘freer market, more rules’, including a surprising rise of federal competition policy. Third, this move was opposed by several neoliberal figures, such as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the late 1980s.

This chapter discusses the role of visions, expectations, and socio-technical imaginaries in shaping sustainability transitions. Imagining futures different from current socio-technical regimes is essential for legitimizing and mobilizing niche technologies and driving system change. More recently, mission-oriented and transformative innovation policies have emphasised envisioning and collective expectations in defining and implementing long-term goals. The chapter introduces the historical development of these concepts within sustainability transition studies, including transition management, strategic niche management, and technological innovation systems. It presents and compares various anticipatory practices and techniques for exploring and shaping transition dynamics. ‘Futuring methods’ such as scenario development, technology foresight, roadmapping, and modelling are not just neutral tools but shape political problems and solutions. The chapter concludes by illustrating the influence of visions, expectations, and imaginaries in the historical evolution of hydrogen futures and highlighting key research trends.

Sustainability transitions involve complex, long-term societal changes shaped by diverse actors within dynamic structural contexts. This chapter takes a role based perspective, distinguishing between social roles, which evolve with societal values and priorities, and transition roles, which reflect actors’ engagement with transition dynamics. It explores conceptual and empirical applications, highlighting research trends and gaps. Social roles provide insights into institutional change over time, while transition roles reveal how actors strategically position themselves within transitions. Emphasizing the fluid and negotiated nature of roles, the chapter concludes by advocating for longitudinal studies on social roles and the use of transition roles as a boundary object for action-oriented, transdisciplinary sustainability research.

Sustainability transitions have often been described as involving ‘disruptions’. However, many writings in this field have been imprecise about what disruption means in the context of transitions, beyond the disruption of the status quo. References to disruptions in the literature have ranged from a discourse on disruptive niche innovations to disruptive landscape influences. A systematic literature review revealed that the conceptualisation of disruption was often imprecise and empirical studies were largely focused on the energy sector. In this chapter, we build on this definition of disruption and complement the understanding by reviewing the most recent literature, adding to the initial review. This chapter provides much-needed clarity on the conceptual confusion that has emerged and evaluates the links between the concept of disruption and the ways in which mainstream technologies, practices, and business models in socio-technical regimes need to be phased out, destabilised, or undergo decline. We conclude by examining the relevance of the concept of disruption to emerging scholarly and societal debates on just transitions.

Chapter 10 synthesizes ten key lessons from Nordic capitalism to guide the transformation toward sustainable capitalism. Drawing on evidence from previous chapters, it demonstrates how Nordic societies have successfully coupled market efficiency with democratic accountability to advance sustainable development. The chapter emphasizes how overcoming denial, establishing universal systems, expanding positive freedoms, and fostering cooperation are essential for addressing global sustainability challenges. Through detailed analysis of Nordic policies and practices – from universal childcare to critical thinking in education – it shows how democratic processes can align market incentives with sustainability goals. The chapter concludes that while Nordic capitalism remains imperfect, it serves as a valuable “North Star” for realizing sustainable capitalism, offering proven approaches for expanding individual freedom through collective investment while operating within planetary boundaries.

Chapter 6 centres clinical psychologists’ perspectives on and responses to ‘did not attend’ (DNA) policies. Patient non-attendance at clinical appointments has long been regarded as a key issue of concern within healthcare, and particularly so in light of pressures and targets to see more patients and more quickly. DNA policies are also an object of often latent concern by professionals and patients in relation to how they ostensibly improve access for some people through the potentially strategic exclusion of others. I analyse how clinical psychologists account for and navigate such policies, exploring how (in)formal rules around attendance can prompt the involuntary discharge of patients. DNA policies often provide space for clinical discretion, and are even sometimes elided by practitioners. Their negotiations can involve highly moralised configurations of both patient and professional subjectivities. These contribute to legitimising exclusion from services, as well as the expertise leveraged to do so.

This chapter develops the theoretical framework of this study. It addresses the definition of “ethnic group” and delves into recent studies of stereotyping, demonstrating that empirical work on social cognition generates useful insights for the study of ancient literature in general and for the interpretation of Pauline texts in particular.

This chapter delves into the role of power in sustainability transitions, addressing the limited attention power dynamics have received in the field despite their centrality to lasting societal change. Drawing on theories of power from various disciplines, this chapter introduces two conceptual frameworks to analyse power: (1) ‘power to, over, and with’, which examines how and which power relations change over time, and (2) ‘three relations of power, which focuses on how power relations are constituted and shape societal change. These frameworks are applied to a case study of community-supported agriculture (CSA) in Portugal, showcasing grassroots efforts to address socio-political and ecological challenges while striving for sustainable agri-food systems. The analysis reveals how power influences opportunities and barriers for transitions, emphasising the interplay between individual and collective agency, human and non-human interactions, and historical structures of social relationships. The chapter concludes by emphasising the need for more power-aware research that integrates diverse perspectives, including non-Western and Indigenous epistemologies, to deepen the understanding of power in sustainability transitions.

Sustainability transitions require systemic change, yet socio-technical systems are complex and interdependent, making transitions non-linear and path-dependent. This chapter explores how systems thinking and complexity science enhance our understanding of transition dynamics, particularly feedback loops, emergent behaviour, and lock-in effects. It reviews key frameworks, including the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and Technological Innovation Systems (TIS), and discusses how system dynamics modelling and complex systems approaches can identify leverage points for policy interventions. Case studies illustrate how these methods improve transition research and policymaking. The chapter concludes by highlighting methodological challenges and the need for hybrid models to integrate diverse analytical scales and approaches.