Thursday, August 16, 2012
Have STS fallen into a political void? Depoliticisation and engagement in thecase of nanotechnologies
François Thoreau
Pierre Delvenne
"In this paper we trace some of the key points in the history of Science and
Technology Studies (STS). In particular we outline the inherently political
dynamics of the field. Against We underline two emerging patterns in
the curse of STS: the one of “depoliticisation” and the one of increasing
“engagement”. We address the case study nanotechnologies and discuss
their intertwined history with the STS. This allows us to point at the risk
that the increasing institutionalisation of STS and the political mandate
that frames and stabilizes the field’s relationship to the technological
developments would create a political void. We conclude that STS
research is at a crossroads. It is facing an important empirical turn, which
may deprive it from its political significance, and constantly redefine its
institutional constraints. STS has to continuously question its underlying
political assumptions (as it occurs more and more regarding public
participation) and to make it explicit.
François Thoreau
Pierre Delvenne
"In this paper we trace some of the key points in the history of Science and
Technology Studies (STS). In particular we outline the inherently political
dynamics of the field. Against We underline two emerging patterns in
the curse of STS: the one of “depoliticisation” and the one of increasing
“engagement”. We address the case study nanotechnologies and discuss
their intertwined history with the STS. This allows us to point at the risk
that the increasing institutionalisation of STS and the political mandate
that frames and stabilizes the field’s relationship to the technological
developments would create a political void. We conclude that STS
research is at a crossroads. It is facing an important empirical turn, which
may deprive it from its political significance, and constantly redefine its
institutional constraints. STS has to continuously question its underlying
political assumptions (as it occurs more and more regarding public
participation) and to make it explicit.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
ETC group:
Lots of material on technology assessment (the need for...) and topics like nano, geoengineering...
Lots of material on technology assessment (the need for...) and topics like nano, geoengineering...
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