Socio-technical controversies

A socio-technical controversy is a conflictual debate about the application in a particular context of a technology around which scientific knowledge is not stabilized (e.g., nuclear, PGM, messenger RNA vaccines, AI...). These debates intertwine scientific considerations but also economic, social, political, legal, moral...

The objective of this course is to propose to students to conduct a thorough investigation work on socio-technical controversies, providing them with methodological and theoretical tools forged by social sciences. The analysis of socio-technical controversies takes the form of an investigation into facts and values, actors, arguments, evidence arrangements, means, situations.

I. Introduction: definition, history of the concept and examples

II. Rationalities

III. Actors

IV. Chronology

V. Debate arenas

VI. Storytelling and Truth making

VII. Autonomy

VIII. Conclusion and oral presentations