1 A framework of attitudes towards technology in sustainability studies, applied to instructors of ecological economics Melf-Hinrich Ehlers a , Christian Kerschner b∗ a Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Landwirtschaftlich-Gärtnerische Fakultät, Fachgebiet Ressourcenökonomie, 10099 Berlin, Germany & Environment Department, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom b Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain DRAFT – please do not cite Abstract Attitudes towards technology of those engaged in sustainability studies are far from homogeneous. They cover a wide spectrum ranging from those who consider innovation and technology-based efficiency improvements as the key to addressing sustainability problems, to those for whom they are their very source: increasing absolute resource consumption through rebound effects and accelerating the disruption of natural ecosystem cycles by introducing ever more alien substances. In between these two positions there are endless and at first sight confusing variations and combinations of attitudes. To facilitate the orientation of scholars and receivers of research and teaching in sustainability studies, we propose a holistic framework, which helps to conceptualise and interpret attitudes towards technologies. Our attitudes toward technology (ATT) – framework facilitates transparent articulation of differing technology-positions and can help researchers to explore and refine their own attitudes. It also helps to identify positions of different groups of researchers and other actors and groups in society, including those of social movements such as degrowth movements. The attitudes stretch from technological scepticism, over romanticism and determinism, to technological optimism. They are derived from social and philosophical studies of technology. In between we identify additional categories, which are more specific to sustainability studies such as “entropy pessimism”, the “post-normal-science-view of technology” and “neoclassical economic optimism”. The paper focuses on the development of the ATT- framework. It also includes a qualitative content analysis of lecture material and questionnaires answered by ecological economics instructors, of which we present first results. In the lecture material we found a great variety of implicitly and explicitly expressed technology stances, which seem also to inform research approaches and outcomes. Often attitudes are inconsistent or even contradictory, despite the apparent homogeneity of participants. This underlines the importance of an open and transparent debate on individual attitudes towards technology among communities of researchers. Otherwise their attitudes towards technology would be un-reflected extensions of attitudes, which are already present in society and represented by particular groups. Our empirical work also points at implications for public involvement and governance. Together with the generic attitudes towards technology they may inform the future pathways of technological and political change at general levels and levels of specific technologies such as biotechnology and nuclear power. ∗ Christian Kerschner, Tel 93 581 29 74, Fax: 93 581 33 31, Email: christian.kerschner@gmail.com;