Sociotechnical Imaginaries and Science and Technology Policy: A Cross-National Comparison

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This comparative project, funded by the Science and Society Program, aims to develop a new theoretical framework for understanding the global politics of innovation in science and technology (S&T). It will examine the relationship between national political cultures and the production of ''sociotechnical imaginaries'' in S&T policymaking in the United States, South Korea, and Germany. Sociotechnical imaginaries are defined as ''imagined forms of social life and social order that center on the development and fulfillment of innovative scientific and/or technological projects.'' Through systematic cross-national comparison, the project hopes to overcome the micro-focus of many STS studies and to illuminate how three different democratic political cultures are framing the goals, risks, and benefits of technological innovation, and how they are meeting the associated political challenges of democratic inclusion, expert advice, ethics, and accountability.Phase I of the project will develop national case studies of S&T policy, focusing on three technologies - one old, one current, and one emerging: nuclear power; stem cells; and nanotechnology. This design will provide historical depth as well as contemporary insight into national technoscientific imaginations. The cases will be organized thematically along several dimensions, including the treatment of national needs, solidarity, temporality, competitiveness, and risks and benefits. Phase II will compare the results of Phase I cross-nationally, draw normative and policy-relevant conclusions, and disseminate the results. The research will use qualitative, interpretive STS methods, integrating approaches from policy analysis, law, anthropology, and history and sociology of science.The proposed study will advance our understanding of contemporary S&T developments in three rapidly innovating regions of the world (US, Europe, Asia) and will shed light on the following questions: How is the societal significance of each technoscientific project imagined, framed, and represented in the course of S&T policymaking? How are the benefits and risks - physical, social, and environmental - defined, modeled, and assessed, during policy formulation and implementation? How are citizens and publics conceptualized in each case study? What influences do cultural ideas of citizenship and participation have on the framing, implementation, and possible contestation of each selected technoscientific project? Can we identify and characterize national styles of S&T policymaking in each study country?The comparative analysis of S&T policymaking and sociotechnical imaginaries in three nations promises to have three kinds of broader impacts. First, it will improve cross-cultural understanding of the global politics of S&T, thereby building stronger foundations for US policy and for transnational cooperation and governance. Second, it will provide new conceptual and empirical resources for improving S&T policy analysis and implementation, specifically: in assessing the risks and benefits of new and emerging technologies; in standard-setting and the treatment of uncertainty; in the design of new forms of public engagement; in developing improved processes of ethical analysis and deliberation; and in highlighting opportunities for, barriers to, and possible modes of international S&T collaboration. Third, it will contribute to postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate teaching and training.