Call for Papers Science in Public Conference - panel 24: Bonding with Our Immediate Public: (Non)Human Dimensions of STS research

In many ways Science and Technology Studies (STS) scholars are a part of ‘the public’ for life scientists, and life scientists are in a sense the STS scholars’ most immediate and direct ‘public’. We are each ‘Other’ to some extent to each others’ worlds, as at the same time we can in our interactions become each others’ audience in Goffman’s sense. Yet to understand each others’ world making to what extent must we engage with each other at an affective, even intimate level? We invite contributions that consider the human and nonhuman dimensions of the bonds that STS scholars establish with their research subjects. We seek papers that analyse the characteristics of this bonding, including relations between STS scholars and humans (dead or alive) and non-humans (i.e. animals, documents, plants, instruments, microorganisms, matter). We welcome interrogation of the significance and affects of these primary associations for STS knowledge, and for the lives of those involved. The goal of this panel is to generate a better understanding of the social and political implications of the human relations generated by, and perhaps necessary, to contemporary and historical research about science and technology.

Panel Number: 24. 
Deadline: 18 April