Technoscience as activism Conference

Call For Papers: «Tech­nos­ci­ence as Acti­vism»

Hosted by the Triple Helix GK-12 NSF Program

Rens­se­laer Poly­te­ch­nic Insti­tute

Troy, New York

Confe­rence Dates: June 27–29, 2012

Submis­sion Dead­line: March 15, 2012

For submis­si­ons and addi­ti­o­nal Infor­ma­tion: http://www.3helix.rpi.edu/?p=2102

This confe­rence seeks new appro­a­ches to inter­we­a­ving social justice and science/tech­no­logy. Some that are alre­ady known include DIY and “maker” commu­ni­ties, Open Source Science, “Tech­no­lo­gies for Non-violent Social Change, ” and other new hybrid forms of colla­bo­ra­tion that put tech­nos­ci­ence in the hands of non-experts, local commu­ni­ties, indi­ge­nous groups and the less power­ful. Typi­cal appro­a­ches to “ethics in science” treat ethics as a police offi­cer that opera­tes at the borders, slap­ping science on the wrist when it over-steps. How can we treat ethics instead as a pro-active force, inte­gra­ted from the start? Social scien­tists studying scien­ti­fic contro­versy may know very little about the parti­cu­lars of the science, and the scien­tist embroi­led within the contro­versy may not know very much about the dyna­mics of commu­ni­ties or the rela­ti­ons of power between experts and the public. This confe­rence will high­light ways to provoke engi­ne­ers, social scien­tists, and the educa­tors of future thin­kers into consi­de­ring new and inno­va­tive methods of merging social and tech­ni­cal dimen­si­ons of science and engi­ne­e­ring rese­arch, teaching and prac­tice. It will contri­bute to the possi­bi­li­ties for a “two way bridge” across the lay/expert divide; one in which social justice is infor­med by tech­nos­ci­ence and not just tech­nos­ci­ence infor­med by social justice. To this end, we are looking for papers and propo­sed panels that can discuss trans­for­ma­tive possi­bi­li­ties for every level of making science, scien­tists, tech­no­logy, engi­ne­ers, and know­ledge. Exis­ting cate­go­ries in which perti­nent (and impor­tant) discus­si­ons are taking place are, but is not limi­ted to, K-12 STEM educa­tion, advan­ced peda­gogy in the natu­ral/physi­cal/life scien­ces, ethics, public enga­ge­ment/unders­tan­ding of science, theo­re­ti­cal and social studies on infor­ma­tion and commu­ni­ca­tion tech­no­logy, poli­ti­cal soci­o­logy of science, Science and Tech­no­logy Studies, appro­pri­a­ting tech­no­logy, femi­nist studies, emer­ging nano­te­ch­no­logy, post­co­lo­nial studies, engi­ne­e­ring educa­tion, urban studies, and expe­ri­men­tal art.

What: We are accep­ting 250-word abstracts for presen­ta­ti­ons made by indi­vi­du­als, to be placed into themed panels. We are also looking for hands-on works­hop format presen­ta­ti­ons or acti­vi­ties to be done in groups by people with a vari­ety of tech­ni­cal and social exper­tise. Works­hop sessi­ons can be submit­ted by indi­vi­du­als or groups. Limi­ted travel reim­bur­se­ment may be avai­la­ble.

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