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How can we apply ANT to analyze the foreseen impacts of Peak Oil as sketched in A Crude

Awakening? How do these impacts provide an illustration of the breakdown of an actor-

world?

The definition of Actor-Network Theory (ANT) is how social technology elements are

assembled and how large social structures work through a stable flow of materials. He pointed

out the meaning and relationship between social and technological factors. This theory shows

how everything in the natural and society world exists and shows the constantly changing

relationships between them. In other words, all the elements involved are at the same level, and

the network works together as a whole. The technologies and deliverables under consideration

contribute to the creation and organization of social structures. Actor and actor-network theory

represents the equal treatment of human and non-human actors. (Latour, 2016) use the example

of “door-closed” to explain human and non-human actor. He described that all objects in the

network must be described. Historically, this is the boundary line between humans and other

actors like machines and animals. The reason why people are like this is that they themselves are

a patterned web of interacting materials.

The Documentary "Crude Awakening" focuses on the expected effects of peak oil. As

mentioned earlier, ANT describes how social technology elements are assembled and how large-

scale social structures work through a steady flow of materials. The theory shows how

technology and artifacts promote pattern formation and social order. These expected effects

include a decline in oil production and the need for more energy to buy oil instead of obtaining

more energy. Oil shortages are damaging the economy and affecting the use of many

conventional technologies that can cause war. Misuse of social oil reserves will have a major
negative impact on its future. Actor-network theory can be used to analyze these forecasting

effects of peak oil.

Various actors are involved in the story. The human role is made up of oil workers,

consumers, and politicians who have influenced this dilemma. Non-human stakeholders include

oil, the industry of oil, and manufacturing equipment. One of the main roles and actors of Crude

Awakening is Crude, which connects people with non-humans. Every actor thinks this oil is

unique to them. The network between consumers and oil shows the impact of public demand.

However, the network between producers and oil views oil as a profession aimed at gaining

status and wealth. As shown in "Crude Oil Awakening", oil producers ignore the concept of peak

oil production and spend more time and resources to extract oil. The peak of oil production

indicates that the world has reached the highest level of oil production. Over the years, the world

will receive less and less oil and will eventually reach the point of nothing. In this case, the

network of actors is based on the existence of oil and society's constant demand for its products.

In order for this complex system to work properly, all elements of the network must be combined

and work together.

Oil is the main factor in being able to drive a car without developing roads, and suburban areas

may never have been developed. Maybe there are not even flights. Families are forced to live in

nearby workplaces, which eliminates long commutes. Like transportation, oil also plays an

important role in creating non-human actors in our society today. It is difficult to find products

that do not contain oil in the manufacturing process (clothes, food, electronics, etc.). However,

when the highest level of oil production is reached, there will be a shortage of goods and prices

will surge, which will greatly change the current structure of the world we live in. The price of

oil will not be cheap, because the amount available will decrease as demand increases.
The actor world is a world containing human and non-human entities created by the actor-

network. Analysis of the impact of peak oil can explain the collapse of the actor world. As oil

production declines, this will affect everyone. Consumers, producers, oil companies. All

participants rely heavily on oil, and oil is collapsing. Therefore, the show business will collapse.

As mentioned earlier, all members of the network need to work together and work smoothly.

Otherwise, there is a risk of network instability. Therefore, removing oil from the actor-network

will lead to the collapse of the actor world.

References

Latour, B. (2016). Mixing humans and nonhumans together: The sociology of a door-closer.

Social Theory Re-Wired: New Connections to Classical and Contemporary Perspectives:

Second Edition, 35(3), 96–109. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315775357

Remarkable Encounters. (2006). A Crude Awakening - The Oilcrash. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odCZpBPfFQk.

The concept of actor-

network theory explores
how sociotechnical elements
are
assembled, and how large-scale
structures work through
networks of stabilized materials
(Larose,
2018). This theory denotes how
everything in the social and
natural world exists in networks
of
relationships that are constantly
shifting.