Article (Scientific journals)
Shifting and Deepening Engagements: Experimental Normativity in Public Participation in Science and Technology
Van Oudheusden, Michiel; Laurent, Brice
2013In Science, Technology and Innovation Studies, 9 (1), p. 3-22
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
 

Files


Full Text
Van Oudh Laurent Shifting Deepening Engagements STIS 2013.pdf
Publisher postprint (236.59 kB)
Download

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Keywords :
Normativity; Participation; Science
Abstract :
[en] Public participation in science, technology, and innovation is a significant trend in contemporary western democracies, which increasingly implicates the social scien-tist in diverse ways. Yet, the question as to how social scientists actually engage in public participation, and how their engagements may be normatively justified, is not the object of systematic consideration in participatory frameworks and in ac-tion-oriented social science. In this article, we ask how social scientists can take responsibility for their normative choices when engaging in participatory practice. Drawing on our experiences as researchers of public participation in nanotechnol-ogies in Flanders (Belgium) and France, respectively, we reflectively consider our relationship with research subjects, the political relevance of our work, and the research problems we deal with. This leads us to articulate three modes of norma-tivity that inform our commitments: a process mode, a critical mode, and a mode inspired by Actor Network Theory. Differentiating between these modes and gar-nering sensitivity towards each mode’s characteristics opens the way to experi-mentation with different types of normativity through which the social scientist accounts for his commitments and shifts or deepens his engagements in response to conflicting demands and real-world circumstances. Thus, rather than endorsing one approach to participation, we recommend a pragmatic attitude that implies systematic probing of the roles the social scientist assumes vis-à-vis other partici-pants, interests, and objectives, and that enables him to continually adjust his po-sition in view of the particularities of his situation.
Disciplines :
Sociology & social sciences
Author, co-author :
Van Oudheusden, Michiel ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de science politique > Anal. et éval. des politiques publ.-Méthod. de sc. politique
Laurent, Brice
Language :
English
Title :
Shifting and Deepening Engagements: Experimental Normativity in Public Participation in Science and Technology
Publication date :
2013
Journal title :
Science, Technology and Innovation Studies
ISSN :
1861-3675
Publisher :
Universität Dortmund, Germany
Volume :
9
Issue :
1
Pages :
3-22
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
FWO - Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen [BE]
Available on ORBi :
since 03 September 2013

Statistics


Number of views
137 (2 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
203 (3 by ULiège)

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi