STS Research Programme 2019-2022
Meeting Science and Technology Studies: Practices of Engagement
In July 2018, the Centre for Science Studies (CSS) successfully hosted the conference of the major European Association for Science and Technology Studies (EASST). It was the largest gathering of European STS scholars ever. The conference was very successful, 950 delegates. CSS received funding following the conference, from EASST, to support a three-year programme of research activities. This research programme is supported by the Sociology Department (that hosts CSS) and the Faculty of Arts and the Social Sciences at Lancaster University.
The three-year programme of activities, collaborations and explorations will build on Lancaster’s distinctive global identity for cutting-edge, engaged STS research and will extend the networks of the Centre for Science Studies.
The programme aims to create meetings of scholars, publics, practitioners and activists, inside and outside the academy, and within and beyond STS. The goal is to share and integrate the diverse practices, theories and methods of engagement that are currently happening in STS in multiple domains, and to explore and develop new modes of involvement for STS.
This programme builds on the long-standing reputation of STS at Lancaster for research that critically intervenes in public/expert entanglements in the service of social justice. These entanglements have become increasingly multi-layered and opaque in recent years, and often obscure harmful policy developments, omissions, and exclusions, as well as new possibilities.
All the events will be organised by teams that represent at least two groupings (at least one team member will be affiliated with Lancaster University). Enabling this are networks that were established through the EASST Conference Local Organising Committee (15 colleagues across Faculties and centres – CSS, CSEC, Centre for Technological Futures, Health and Medicine, CGWS, LEC, Institute for Social Futures, ESRC DEMAND, Lancaster Arts, CeMORE, and N8 Agrifood).
We will update the web site regularly with forthcoming activities or please contact the Centre Director, Vicky Singleton (d.singleton@lancaster.ac.uk) if you want to know more and/or want to be added to our mailing list.