Trish Kahle on the Labor History of Energy Systems
Jun 24, 2024
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Trish Kahle, Assistant Professor at Georgetown University-Qatar, discusses the labor history of electricity systems, energy citizenship, and the emerging field of energy humanities. They explore the intersection of labor history and technology, the significance of energy workers, and the interconnectedness of energy and human behavior.
Energy citizenship links coal miners' civic obligations to the country's energy system.
Redefining energy relationships through miners' claims as a form of civic involvement.
Historical shifts in energy landscapes emphasize labor's role in shaping energy dynamics.
Deep dives
Explore the Concept of Energy Citizenship
Energy citizenship is introduced as a concept detailing the relationship between coal miners and the country in the context of energy obligations. Miners claim a civic obligation from the country because of their contribution to the energy system. This dynamic reflects a complex interplay of political activism, labor action, and societal obligations that shape the country's political and social fabric.
Reevaluate the Notion of Citizenship Through Energy Relations
The discussion delves into redefining traditional producer-consumer energy relationships by considering the claims made by coal miners as a form of energy citizenship. Miners invoke a sense of obligation through civic involvement in energy production, transcending mere economic interactions to embody a deeper political relationship with the nation.
Reconsider Historical Shifts in Land Energy Systems
Tracing the evolution from plantation-based energy systems to mineral extraction and rail-connected zones highlights critical historical shifts in organizing energy landscapes. Examining how different frameworks influence societal perspectives on energy sheds light on national energy transitions and the resulting political and social structures.
Focus on Labor and Minerals in Energy Dynamics
Highlighting the critical role of labor and minerals in shaping energy dynamics, the conversation touches on the need to integrate workers' perspectives into energy geopolitics discussions. By exploring energy flows from historical contexts to contemporary global dynamics, the narrative elevates the significance of material and labor aspects in energy systems.
Explore the Intersections of Energy Systems with International Perspectives
Propelling the conversation towards international perspectives, the focus shifts to reorienting energy studies from a global North perspective to incorporate insights from the South. Reimagining decolonial canon and anti-colonial narratives through the lens of energy humanities opens pathways to reinterpreting global energy politics and resource utilization.
Highlight the Need for Interdisciplinary Energy Research
Emphasizing the significance of interdisciplinary energy research, the dialogue underscores the importance of foregrounding conversations that transcend traditional academic boundaries. By centering on place-based energy histories and leveraging global South perspectives, the initiative seeks to redefine energy discourse through diverse interdisciplinary lenses.
Peoples & Things host, Lee Vinsel, talks to Trish Kahle, Assistant Professor of History at Georgetown University-Qatar, about Kahle's new project, "Power Up: A Social History of American Electricity," which focuses especially on the labor history of both constructing and maintaining the electricity grid. They also talk about Kahle's forthcoming book, Energy Citizenship: Coal and Democracy in the American Century(Columbia UP, 2024), which "traces how modern U.S. social citizenship has been shaped by coal miners and the fuel they extracted." The pair also discuss the emerging field of the "energy humanities" and what it means to take a labor-centered approach to energy history.