News and Current Activities
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News and Current Activities |
The 7th Conference of the European Sociological Association (ESA), Rethinking Inequalities SSTNET Sessions on "Science, Technology and the Public"
Convenors:
Luísa Oliveira: DINÂMIA/CIES - ISCTE, Lisboa, Portugal
Aaro Tupasela: University of Helsinki, Finland
Raymund Werle: Max-Planck-Institut, Köln, Germany
Franc Mali: University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Please contact papergivers to receive copies of papers!
E-Mail addresses are included in the abstracts.
Science, Technology and the Public
Changes in society and in science and technology have led to an erosion of traditional institutional boundaries between these spheres. Nowotny, Scott and Gibbons use the term Agora to describe an emerging new public space "where science and society, the market and politics co-mingle." The Agora denotes a space in which knowledge is contextualized. What is emphasized here for scientific knowledge is not completely different with technical knowledge. Boundaries of science and technology are transgressed by politics, economics and the civil society.
This phenomenon is not completely new. But more than in the past science and technology are evaluated by utilitarian standards and expected to produce novelty and innovation. At the same time, however, the social impact of these innovations is critically assessed. Frequently the evaluation process includes the public communication of the products and results science and technology deliver - their potential risks as well as their benefits. Among these issues are those concerning a redefinition of certainty and uncertainty, the known and the unknown, as well as questions of societal inequality and equality. If (scientific) knowledge is a building block of contemporary (knowledge) societies how can public access and participation in the process of knowledge generation and diffusion be facilitated? Do new technologies such as the Internet mitigate societal divides or do they create new ones.
Generally, the public plays a more decisive role with respect to issues of accountability, responsibility and legitimacy or transparency and democratic control in the process of development of science and technology. Public communication and understanding of science and technology also encompasses visions, values and ethics conveyed in funding programs, in academic journals and by news journalists.
Timetable and Agenda
I.Dialogue and participation
Friday, September 9
17.00 - 19.00 session 1
Chair: Luísa Oliveira, Dinâmia / CIES - ISCTE, Portugal
1.1. Hansen, Janus, San Domenico di Fiesole/ Italy:
FRAMING THE PUBLIC: PARTICIPATION IN GM CONTROVERSIES
1.2. Meister, Martin/ Kruse, Sylvia/ Schön, Susanne, Berlin/ Germany:
MAPPING DIVERGENT KNOWLEDGE CLAIMS IN HETEROGENEOUS CONSTELLATIONS. THE CASE OF REGIONAL FLOOD PROTECTION POLICY
1.3. Bruun, Henrik/ Heiskanen, Eva, Helsinki/ Finland:
BRIDGING KNOWLEDGE IN CONSTRUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
II. Inequalities and exclusion in science and technology
Saturday, September 10
9.00 - 11.00 session 2
Chair: Aaro Tupasela, University of Helsinqui, Finland
2.1. Firmino da Costa, António, Lisbon/ Portugal:
SCIENCE, THE PUBLIC AND NEW SOCIAL INEQUALITIES
2.2. Neves, Bárbara/ Bilhim, João, Lisbon/ Portugal:
THE DIGITAL CITIES AND THE INFO-EXCLUSION
2.3. Talsi, Noora, Joensuu/ Finland:
TECHNOLOGY AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CITIZEN?
2.4. Uotinen, Johanna, Joensuu/ Finland:
THE RETURN OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE - THE SHIFT FROM PEOPLE` S ATTITUDE BACK TO THE TECHNOLOGY CENTRED PERSPECTIVES IN NORTH KARELIA, FINLAND
2.5. Wolffram, Andrea, Hamburg/ Germany:
RETHINKING GENDER INEQUALITIES IN TECHNOSCIENCE
III. Arenas of risk
Saturday, September 10
15.00 - 17.00 session 3
Chair: Franc Mali, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
3.1. Balzekiene, Aiste, Kaunas/ Lithuania:
NUCLEAR ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTION OF NUCLEAR RISKS IN LITHUANIA
3.2. Nunes, Madalena (other contact), Lisbon/ Portugal:
YOUTH AT RISK: THE APPROPRIATION OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE BY THE INTERVERNING ACTORS OF SOCIAL PROTECTION PROJECTS
3.3. Stankiewicz, Piotr, Torun/ Poland:
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE TECHNOLOGICAL RISK IN POLAND? THE DISPUTE ABOUT GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMO)
3.4. Abraham, John W./ Cane, Rachel, Brighton/ United Kingdom:
LEGITIMACY OF CARCINOGENIC RISK ASSESSMENT: THE SOCIAL PRODUCTION OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
IV. Issues of Governance
Sunday, September 11
9.00 - 11.00 sesssion 4
Chair: Raymund Werle, Max-Planck-Institut, Köln, Germany
4.1. Broerse, Jacqueline E.W./ Cock Buning, Tjard de/ Bunders, Joske F.G, Amsterdam/ The Netherlands:
IMPLEMENTING NEW MODES OF GOVERNANCE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: THE CASE OF DUTCH MINISTRY OF HEALTH, WELFARE AND SPORTS
4.2. Pelkonen, Antti, Helsinki/ Finland:
QUESTIONING THE FINNISH MODEL – SPECIFYING GOVERNANCE AND EQUALITY ASPECTS OF THE FINNISH ´INFORMATION SOCIETY`
4.3. Gonçalves, Maria Eduarda/ Castro, Paula, Lisbon/ Portugal:
LOCAL IS BEAUTIFUL? GOVERNING SCIENCE-SOCIETY RELATIONSHIPS IN EUROPE
4.4. Mali, Franc, Ljubljana/ Slovenia:
THE CIVIC ARENA – THE CHALLENGE FOR R&D POLICY DECISION-MAKING IN THE NEW EU-APPROACHING COUNTRIES
4.5. Squerzanti, Elisa (other contact), Bielefeld/ Germany:
PARTICIPATION TO LEGISLATING PROCESS, RESPONSIBILITY ALLOCATION AND UNCERTAINTY: SEARCHING FOR LEGITIMACY. A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON WASTE MANAGEMENT REGULATION
V. Public Understanding of Science and Communicating Science
Sunday, September 11
17.30 - 19.30 session 5
Chair: Aaro Tupasela, University of Helsinqui, Finland
5.1. Adamsone-Fiskovica, Anda, Riga/ Latvia:
THE USE OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF SCIENCE-SOCIETY RELATIONS
5.2. Müller, Karel, Prague/ Czech Republic:
ON CIVILIZING SCIENCE - PUBLIC RELATIONSHIP. INSTITUTIONAL CONSEQUENCES
5.3. Prpic, Katarina, Zagreb/ Croatia:
SCIENCE IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC AND SOCIAL ELITES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
5.4. Oliveira, Luísa, Lisbon/ Portugal:
FROM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO PUBLIC: THE JOURNALISTS AS INTERMEDIATES
VI. Policy and the Public
Monday, September 12
9.00 - 11.00 session 6
Chair: Luísa oliveira, Dinâmia/CIES - ISCTE, Lisboa
6.1. Tarkiainen, Ari, Joensuu/ Finland:
SCIENCE/POLICY/SOCIETY- DIALOGUE: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?
6.2. Wieser, Bernhard, Graz/ Austria:
DECISIONS UPSTREAM AND END OF PIPE: ON PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE
6.3. Tupasela, Aaro, Helsinki/ Finland:
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - CONSTRUCTING PUBLIC ATTITUDES IN FINNISH BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
6.4. Werle, Raymund/ Iversen, Eric J., Cologne/ GermanyOslo/ Norway:
DEMOCRACY, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE FRAMING OF TECHNICAL STANDARDIZATION
Sociology of Science and Technology NETwork - last update: April 2006