RN23 - Sexuality

RN24 - Science and Technology

RN25 - Social Movements

RN26 - Sociology of Social Policy and Social Welfare

RN27 - Regional Network Southern European Societies

RN28 - Society and Sports

RN29 - Social Theory

RN30 - Youth & Generation

RN31 - Ethnic Relations, Racism and Antisemitism

RN32 - Political Sociology

RN33 - Women’s and Gender Studies

RN34 - Sociology of Religion

RN35 - Sociology of Migration

RN36 - Sociology of Transformations: East and West

RN37 - Urban Sociology

All Research Networks Close

RN24 - Science and Technology

Interrelations between science, technology and society are in the focus of research interests of RN24 members.

More than in other areas, scholars in the field of science and technology studies have made multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary efforts to combine

theory construction on changing relations and co-constitution of science, technology and society,
qualitative and quantitative empirical social sciences,
sociological, philosophical, anthropological, historical, psychological, economic and political science analysis,
science, technology and innovation policy studies.

Academic associations have evolved in the USA and Europe which reinforce this development. The field provides a stimulating and challenging environment for sociologists to bring in their disciplinary profile. In this context SSTNET offers a European platform for sociologists to meet, exchange ideas and strengthen their specific profile for interdisciplinary collaboration in order to study questions of science and technology.

The network (RN24/SSTNET – Sociology of Science and Technology Network) aims at

providing a European forum for the development, discussion and dissemination of research on all social aspects of science and technology,
ensuring an organizational frame for the organization of workshops at the bi-annual ESA general conferences,
organizing focused research meetings and conferences between the ESA conferences,
setting up links to other academic and professional associations in the field of science and technology studies (national, European and international),
facilitating research collaboration, joint research projects and publication among European scholars,
providing a platform for the dissemination of research reports, conference papers and conventional publications via the world wide web and electronic mail,
creating and maintaining a www data base of the members of the network and the network’s activities, and
promoting the exchange of young scholars of science and technology between European countries.

For the RN24/SSTNET mailing list, e-mail to Melissa Sessa, PhD representative, melissa.sess[at]uniroma1.it

2021-2023

Coordinators

Coordinator: Ana Delicado, Institute of Social Sciences – ICS, University of Lisbon, Portugal, ana.delicado[at]ics.ulisboa.pt
Co-coordinator: Heta Tarkkala, University of Helsinki, Finland, heta.tarkkala[at]helsinki.fi

Board Members

Aaro Tupasela, University of Helsinki, Finland
Luís Junqueira, ISCTE-IUL, Portugal
Marta Choroszewicz, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
Melissa Sessa, University of Rome, Italy (PhD representative)
Paolo Parra Saiani, University of Genoa, Italy
Paraskevas Vezyridis, Nottingham University Business School, UK
Vera Raivola, University of Eastern Finland, Finland

Advisory Board:

Fabienne Crettaz von Roten, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Franc Mali, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Harald Rohracher, Linköping University, Sweden
Laura Cruz-Castro, Spanish National Research Council – CSIC, Spain
Maja Horst, EASST President, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
Michel Dubois, National Centre for Scientific Research – CNRS, France
Nadia Asheulova, RC23/ISA President, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Ulrich Dolata, University of Stuttgart, Germany

The rise of AI society - POSTPONED TO 2022

May 28-29 2020

Helsinki, Finland

Information

DUE TO COVID-19, THE MID-TERM CONFERENCE HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO 2022

During the past few years, numerous countries and organizations have published dozens of policies and strategies regarding the development of artificial intelligence. The permeation of AI, machine learning and algorithmic thinking into an increasing number of facets of everyday life, from banking and medicine to transportation and law suggests that AI is becoming increasingly ubiquitous in society. For science and technology studies (STS) this provides a unique opportunity to study and understand social and technological change. Not least since the development of AI touches upon so many of the central themes within STS.

This workshop invites presentations which examine the rise of AI in society and the consequences that is has in everyday life. Possible topics for presentation topics may include, but is not limited to:

AI and governance
Algorithmic culture
AI and privacy/surveillance
AI in different professions such as healthcare, law, and transportation
The design of AI systems
AI at home
Restructuring of activities for the application of AI, for example in a workplace
The role of AI in organizational change
Implications of AI in knowledge production
Methodological approaches to study AI

We invite contributions from researchers at all stages of the academic career, but we particularly encourage early career researchers to submit abstracts. Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words.

Keynote speakers:

Ilpo Helén (University of Eastern Finland): What do algorithms do? An approach for a sociology of datafication of health care.

Francis Lee (Uppsala University): The Politics of Algorithms: The Challenge of AI, Big Data and Digitalization for Social Inquiry

Abstract submission deadline is January 20, 2020. Abstracts should be submitted to aaro.tupasela[at] helsinki.fi. For further information please contact Aaro Tupasela (aaro.tupasela[at] helsinki.fi) or Heta Tarkkala (heta.tarkkala[at] helsinki.fi)

CFP_SSTNET_MAY_2020.pdf

Critical engagement vs. technophobia: The risks of emerging technologies

October 11-12, 2018

Slovenia, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences

Published papers: https://www.fdv.uni-lj.si/en/journals/science-journals/teorija-in-praksa/about-journal/teorija-in-praksa-3-(2019)

Call

The development and proliferation of emerging technologies have a strong impact on current society. While emerging technologies are found in different fields – from biotechnology and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to robotics and cognitive technologies – they share the capacity to transform the social world into a world of becoming. Discussions on the processes through which emerging technologies are developed and disseminated into current society also contain different kinds of risk assessment, including issues of social, ethical, environmental and legal implications. Risk and risk management are thus intimately linked to the proliferation of emerging technologies. Saying this, critical sociological discussion of current concepts of risk, risk management and risk governance of emerging technologies is timely and highly needed. As social scientists, we need to take the current progression of emerging technologies seriously, not by dismissing these technologies altogether, but by critically engaging with their developments and our societal capacities to shape them.

During this two-days workshop, we will engage in different aspects of critical engagement in relation to emerging technologies. The aim is to open up for discussions regarding the development and proliferation of emerging technologies in today’s society.

We encourage contributions that focus on risks with emerging technologies, including issues of social, ethical, environmental and legal implications.

We particularly encourage contributions on the following topics:

Accounting for the unknown unknowns.
Social governance of emerging technologies.
Precautionary and/or proactive approaches.
The relation between development of emerging technologies and the development of regulatory frameworks.
Engagement of the lay public and experts in relation to emerging technologies.
Risk assessment of emerging technologies in the context of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).
Promises, future visions, expectations, imaginaries connected to the progress of emerging technologies.
Techno-utopianism and techno-dystopianism.

However, potential contributions are not limited to these topics and contributors are also encouraged to suggest new perspectives within the field of social sciences.

Workshop Organizing Committee:

Franc Mali, Committee chair: franc.mali[at] fdv.uni-lj.si

Jennie Olofsson, Committee co-chair: jennie.olofsson[at] fdv.uni-lj.si

Harald Rohracher, SSTNET chair: harald.rohracher[at] liu.se

Fabienne Crettaz von Roten: fabienne.crettazvonroten[at] unil.ch

Aaro Mikael Tupasela: aatu[at] sund.ku.dk

Katarina Prpic: katarina[at] idi.hr

Ana Delicado: ana.delicado[at] ics.ulisboa.pt

Anja Kolak: anja.kolak[at] fdv.uni-lj.si

The sociological gaze on science and society relations

SSTNET Workshop – Lisbon – June 2016

https://sstnetworkshop2016.wordpress.com/

Published papers: Delicado, A., Von Roten, F. C. , Prpić, K.(2021) Communicating Science and Technology in Society: Issues of Public Accountability and Engagement, Springer

Call

Over the past few decades, the (lack of) connections between science and society have often been seen as a ‘social problem’ that needs to be addressed, given rise to specific public policies and the emergence of a new field of scientific enquiry. Under labels as different in meanings and implications as “scientific literacy”, “public understanding of science”, “public engagement with science” or “science with and for society”, the way citizens relate to science and scientists engage with society has been seen as problematic. Scientists tend to see citizens as lacking in scientific knowledge and showing little support for science. The public tends to see science as distant from their interests and concerns. A wide array of undertakings has been developed for bridging this gap, compelling scientists into adding yet another range of skills and activities to an already increasingly demanding profession. Conversely, the expectations of what citizens need to know and have an opinion about are also on the rise, deferring to them in part the responsibility to prevent scientific development with undesirable consequences.

Though this field has attracted the attention of scholars from different disciplines, sociology can offer a unique perspective, based on a plurality of theoretical and methodological approaches. Sociological insights may prove particularly useful for examining the construction of science-society relations as a ‘social problem’ and how this construction depends on changing roles of science in contemporary societies and broader socio-economic and political-ideological contexts, such as neo-liberal governance discourses. Sociological approaches may analyse the plurality of actors involved in science-society relations and the networks they establish, the role of power elites from the political and economic sphere, the impact of such demands on the organisation of research institutions and career development, the particular ways different disciplines engage with the public, or the power relations that underlie encounters between scientists and citizens.

We particularly encourage contributions that critically reflect on science and society relationships and the ways in which these relationships are expected to change.

Workshop Organizing Committee:

Ana Delicado, Committee chair: ana.delicado[at] ics.ulisboa.pt

Harald Rohracher, SSTNET chair: harald.rohracher[at] liu.se

Katarina Prpic: katarina[at] idi.hr

Fabienne Crettaz von Roten: Fabienne.CrettazVonRoten[at] unil.ch

Inge van der Weijden, SSTNET co-chair: i.c.m.van.der.weijden[at] cwts.leidenuniv.nl

Bernhard Wieser, Bernhard.Wieser[at] aau.at

RN24 Biennial Report for 2017-2019
RN24 Biennial Report for 2015-2017