Mapping Controversies in Science, Technology and Architecture SS2016
Teacher
Module
Ignacio Farías & Laurie Waller
STS Theory and Methods
Controversies are open, critical and creative situations, in which the social is reshuffled. In controversies the boundaries between politics and science, technology and aesthetics, lay knowledge and expertise are suspended and redrawn. Distinct from recurring conflicts among pre-existing actors with clearly defined values and interests, controversies involve situations of shared uncertainty regarding specific issues, thus opening up to discussion and redefinition fundamental features of the social: what is an entity, what is agency, what are the effects of actions, what is a fact, what is a prejudice, what is valuable.Science and technology studies have found in techno-scientific and public knowledge controversies a rich empirical field to study the crafting, assembling and disassembling of scientific knowledge and technological innovations, as well as the democratization challenges associated to techno-scientific change. In the last years, controversy analysis has also proved useful to study environmental issues, such as global warming, as well as urban development and architectural projects.This block seminar provides a theoretical and practical introduction into a set of concepts, research strategies, methodological tools and analytical techniques that have been developed in the field of science and technology studies for the study of controversies.
