Between Sustainability, Energy Practices and Class Dynamics: A Bourdieusian Analysis of Energy Consumption in Norway.

This article examines how social class influences energy practices in Oslo, Norway, during the 2022–2023 energy crisis, using Pierre Bourdieu's model of social space and class. Based on 37 interviews stratified by occupational class, the study identifies four distinct types of energy users—Tech-Interested, Luxurious, Pragmatic, and Necessity-Driven—differentiated by their concern for energy use and scope for change in their housing conditions. The findings reveal that upper-class groups engage in a wider variety of energy practices often motivated by comfort and symbolic distinction, while lower-class groups perform energy practices primarily out of necessity and economic constraint. The article argues for integrating social stratification into social practice theory to better understand energy consumption patterns and to inform more equitable energy-saving policies.