230146 SE Risky Entanglements? Theorising Science, Technology and Society Relationships (2012W)

This seminar introduces the central theoretical and conceptual frameworks of STS (the study of science, technology and society). The seminar’s title risky entanglements does not only describe the intricate relationships between science, technology and society. It also accounts for the enmeshments of theories, concepts and methods, as well as positions and policies drawn upon in STS research. These entanglements may be confusing, so may the sheer number of labels and categories that are used to identify theoretical approaches within STS. Especially to newcomers, interested laypersons or practitioners from other disciplines, it may be unclear how and what sense to make of the involved entanglements and approaches, their risks and opportunities.
The aim of this seminar is to engage with theory and conceptualization in STS in a systematic way. Therefore, we will approach theories with the image of a ‘map’. This map should help us to chart the theoretical geography of STS, systematise its major approaches and key concepts, while engaging with the leading questions of the field. In the course of the seminar, then, we will use this map to ‘zoom in on’ and ‘out of’ the theoretical landscape of STS. More specifically, we shall pursue a double objective: firstly, to get a comprehensive overview of the theoretical landscape in STS, by presenting and comparing its central questions, major approaches and key concepts; secondly, to take a closer look at particular approaches, special places and distinctive practices, such as laboratory experimentation, and discuss their theoretical import and empirical interest. We will also contextualize theories in STS in history and with respect to philosophy, in what contexts and along which problems they have emerged, as well as how they relate to each other.
The overall aim of the seminar is to promote clarity and create confidence, so that you will be able to make your first steps and orient yourself in STS territory with the necessary self-assurance. The theoretical approaches covered range from structural functionalism, the ‘strong programme’ in the sociology of scientific knowledge, interpretative and practice-based approaches (symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology) to actor-network theory, feminist science studies and co-production theories. Crucially, we will address the ‘turn to practice’ and cultivate ‘practices of reflexivity’ in investigating STS relationships and discussing their implications for theorising.