Research Activities
- Sociotechnical Imaginaries: Cross-National Comparisons
- November 14 - 15, 2008
- This is closed to the public.
- This workshop builds on a project funded by the National Science Foundation entitled Sociotechnical Imaginaries and Science and Technology Policy: A Cross-National Comparison. It will examine the relationship between national political cultures and the production, projection, or uptake of what the organizers call “sociotechnical imaginaries” concerning science and technology in different countries and regions. Sociotechnical imaginaries are defined as imagined forms of social life and social order centering on the development and fulfillment of innovative scientific and/or technological projects. They at once describe attainable futures and prescribe the kinds of futures that ought to be attained. As an influential part of the currency of contemporary politics, these imaginaries have the power to direct research, shape technological design, channel public expenditures, and justify the inclusion or exclusion of citizens with respect to the presumed benefits of technological progress. Given the political salience of such imaginaries, and the risks and instabilities that inevitably accompany their realization, understanding how they are formed and implemented is necessary to any serious exploration of international collaboration and coexistence.
- Field of Interest: Global Issues
- Conference Chair
- Jasanoff, Sheila
- Faculty Associate. Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Harvard Kennedy School.
- Contact Information
Shalhope, Adelaide- Conference and Special Events Coordinator.
- Email Contact Form
- Tel: (617) 495-5001
- Fax: (617) 495-8292
- 1737 Cambridge Street
K224, mailbox #68
Cambridge, MA 02138