Controversies foundations Flashcards
how to explore controversies with actor network theory - researcher
Venturini, 2010
What is the cartography of controversies?
It is a set of techniques to explore and visualize issues, developed by Bruno Latour as a didactic (Teaching friendly) version of Actor-Network Theory (ANT).
What is the first meaning of “just” in controversies mapping?
“Just observe” – Encourages researchers to use any tools or techniques available and to mix them freely, avoiding strict philosophies or procedures.
What is the second meaning of “just”?
Objectivity requires multiple points of observation because observation is never free from bias
What is the third meaning of “just”?
Researchers must listen to actors more than their own assumptions, recognizing actors’ immersion in their contexts.
what is a controversy?
any area of science or technology that is not yet stabilised closed or ‘black-boxed’ representing shared uncertainty
Who can be actors in controversies?
Actors include not only humans and groups but also natural/biological elements, industrial products, artistic works, and institutions.
why are controversies described as reduction resistant?
Actors often disagree on questions, not just answers, making them inherently complex and resistant to simplification.
what do controversies reveal about the social world?
Controversies show the social world in its most dynamic form, with surprising alliances and sudden fractures.
How do controversies relate to power dynamics?
involve struggles to conserve or reverse social inequalities often decided by power dynamics force or violence
What kinds of controversies should researchers avoid?
Researchers should avoid:
1- Cold controversies
2- Past controversies
3- Boundless controversies
4- Underground controversies
what type of controversies should be favoured?
Those concerning scientific or technical issues.
What makes controversies mapping valuable?
captures the dynamic and complex nature of the social world by examining disagreements, alliances and power struggles without imposing rigid methodologies
Why is the concept of “black-boxing” important in controversies?
Black-boxing refers to stabilisation of ideas or technologies
controversies exist in areas not yet stabilised allow for deeper observations of processes
Venturini uses magma metaphor to explain controversies explain?
describe the fluid, dynamic, and transformative nature of social controversies
Magma is a substance that can shift between solid and liquid states.
Similarly, the social world, as seen in controversies, is both stable (solid) and dynamic (liquid) at the same time.
Controversies are the points where the “magma” of collective life is most visible, showing how society is constantly being constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed.
what are Donald Rumsfelds three catagories of knowledge?
1- known knowns - things we know that we know
2- known unknowns - things we know that we don’t know
3- unknown unknowns - things we dont know that we don’t know
How does partisan science approach scientific uncertainty or disputes?
focusses on the organisational affiliations and language commitments of contributors
Evaluates different “positions” on an issue rather than interrogating the substantive differences between knowledge claims.
What does partisan science equip citizens to do?
It helps citizens form a strong, sociological view based on networking rather than epistemological knowledge, but risks mapping conspiracies instead of controversies.
How are publics produced in environmental knowledge controversies?
people who have the same united view on a controversy - able to overcome differing ideas and diversity in other aspects
what are publics?
a community of people
What is the first shared feature between Geography and STS in controversies?
Both emphasize that knowledge is shaped by interactions between humans and the more-than-human world, challenging human-centered epistemologies and recognizing non-human agents’ roles.
What is the second shared feature between Geography and STS in controversies?
Controversies are social processes that shape how knowledge is distributed, how certain claims gain legitimacy, and how new technologies are integrated into scientific and public discourse.
What is the third shared feature between Geography and STS in controversies?
Both advocate for inclusive expertise, involving voices from social scientists, local communities, and marginalized groups in environmental decision-making processes.
paper on putting science in its place -author and date
Livingstone (2003)
why is thinking geographically about science important?
1) scientific theory doesn’t spread evenly from its point of origin
2) as it moves it is modified demonstrating that scientific theories are mobile and vary across place
How does spatial context affect the meaning of scientific theories?
Meaning takes shape in response to spatial forces at every scale of analysis, making it unstable and context-dependent.
How does the natural place of research effect scientific knowledge?
- It results in different scientific knowledge being generated.(different biases)
- Place both enables and constrains discourse.
Why is place essential to knowledge production?
1) It shapes ideas, constructs political supremacy, and influences consciousness.
2) Place also matters in how knowledge is consumed and appropriated.
How does Livingstone (2003) challenge traditional views of science?
1) science is not a pre ordained entity but a human enterprise situated in time and space
2) western practices are not the only valid forms of science
what does cultivating a geography of science reveal?
it shows how scientific knowledge bears the imprint of its location
