CFP: Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) - "Making and Doing" - New meeting format and award
STS
Making and Doing Call for Submissions
The Society for Social Studies
of Science (4S) invites proposed presentations for a new meeting format and
related awards called “STS Making and Doing”.
The STS Making and Doing
initiative aims at encouraging 4S members to share scholarly practices of
participation, engagement, and intervention in their fields of study. It
highlights scholarly practices for producing and expressing STS knowledge and
expertise that extend beyond the academic paper or book. By increasing the
extent to which 4S members learn from one another about practices they have
developed and enacted, the initiative seeks to improve the effectiveness and
influence of STS scholarship beyond the field and/or to expand the modes of STS
knowledge production.
The STS Making and Doing Awards
formally acknowledge and celebrate distinctive achievements in practices of STS
making and doing. It recognizes 4S members who have demonstrated scholarly excellence
in formulating, enacting, and sharing theoretically-informed practices of
participation, engagement, and intervention in their fields of study.
The STS Making and Doing
program is organized as part of the 4S annual meeting. Selected presentations
will be displayed at an exhibition during the meeting.
STS projects to be considered include but are not limited to the following categories:
STS projects to be considered include but are not limited to the following categories:
- Policy: STS projects that resulted in policy papers, recommendations, regulations, devices, decision-making practices, or other policy outcomes. Policy arenas include medicine and health, development, infrastructures, and communication in addition to those explicitly oriented to science and technology.
- Design and Planning: STS projects that resulted in the design and creation of effective products, graphics, spaces, and landscapes. The outcomes can be large or small in scale, and can be digital in content. Projects can be organized around different design themes, .e.g. participatory design, sustainable design, etc. The presentation should show explanation of design process and how various actors are involved in the process.
- Arts: STS projects that resulted in effective artistic creations, including those in audio-visual format or in public installations, exhibits, and performances. The presentation should be accompanied by a narrative that links the project to STS scholarship.
- Pedagogy: STS projects that resulted in effective practices for education and training. The project can aim at different levels and forms of education and training, for instance university courses, high school classes, or special training courses. The presentation should indicate how the project increases awareness and understanding of STS scholarship.
- STS infrastructures: STS projects that resulted in effective informational or material infrastructures for the construction, operation, and travel of STS as field or discipline. Such might include the building of degree programs, modes of print and electronic publication, professional organizations, summer schools, institutes, scholarly collectives, and the 4S annual meeting itself. The presentation should move beyond promotion to include reflective analysis.
- Open Category: Any project that reflects the objectives of STS Making and Doing, including civic engagement, social activism, public debate and festivals, etc.
Submission
Proposed presentations on STS
Making and Doing must include a 400-500 word project description. The project
description includes objectives, practices, outcomes, and learning. It must
show how the project produces and expresses STS knowledge and expertise.
Submission for the 2015
meeting, in Denver, opens February 4, 2015. The submission deadline is
March 29. For more meeting and submission information: http://www.4sonline.org/meeting.
Criteria for Selection
A subcommittee of the
Scientific Committee will review submissions. The subcommittee will
assess the project in terms of four main criteria:
- Issue of concern: Does the issue fit one or more areas of STS knowledge and expertise?
- Critical thinking and creativity: Does the project enact critical analysis and contribute to the production and expression of STS knowledge and expertise in creative ways?
- Conceptual Development: Does the project further the intellectual development of STS concepts and theories?
- Consequences and Responses: Do the presenters show how their project’s outcomes extend STS knowledge and expertise into the targeted arena? Do the project’s outcomes draw knowledge and expertise from the targeted arena?
Online Preview
Selected presenters will
prepare materials for a web-based exhibition prior to the 4S meeting. This
online preview will allow both subcommittee members and meeting participants to
browse the concepts and exhibit materials prior to the 4S meeting. After the 4S
meeting, presenters will be invited to update their presentation for a
permanent web-based exhibit.
Presentation
Selected proposed contributions
will be presented as part of the 4S meeting. The event will be organized
as an “STS fair” exhibit in which selected submissions are displayed in the
conference venue. Participants may choose the presentation format as
appropriate, constrained by the space occupied by a table. Presentation modes
may include inter alia product samples, models and prototypes,
mechanical/digital demonstrations, slide shows, and other installations. Each
presentation will be given an A3-sized sheet for meeting attendees to write
comments.
The public display will take
place on Thursday from 12PM to 5PM in the conference venue concourse.
Participants will install presentation materials from 7AM to 11AM on the day.
Each project will be allocated a space of approximately 2x2 meters. Basic
facilities to be provided by 4S include a table with covering and sockets for
electricity. Other requests will be considered in the context of availability
and expense. Please note that use of table is optional and other forms of
presentation are encouraged.
Evaluation
The evaluation process will be
carried out through qualitative assessment on each contribution. It takes
crowd-sourced assessment from meeting attendees as a starting point. Attendees
will be encouraged to make comments on each of the presentations as appropriate.
Comments can be submitted electronically via the STS Making and Doing website
for which they can use their mobile devices. Additionally, computer stations
will be set up in the venue to facilitate attendees in making comments. Free
wifi connection will be available on site for those using their own device to
make comments. In addition to online comments, attendees are able to make
comments manually on an A3-size sheet provided in each presentation booth. The
committee will evaluate each presentation by applying the criteria listed above
and taking into account comments on the presentation. Drawing on suggested
criteria from crowd-sourced evaluation, the committee will stipulate three
winners for different categories to be awarded the prizes.
For further information, please contact Sulfikar Amir: sulfikar@ntu.edu.sg