Power, technology and the phenomenology of conven5ons: on being allergic to onions By Susan Leigh Star

Transcription

1 Power, technology and the phenomenology of conven5ons: on being allergic to onions By Susan Leigh Star Presanta1on: Fang Han, Dunia Bouyambib and Askild Matre Aasarød

2 Susan Leigh Star ( ) The moral- poli1cal consequences of classifica1on systems L*?

3 Consepts ANT (Latour) Feminism Heterogeneity Standards/conven1ons Marginality Mul1ple membership High tension zones

4 What does STS do? Sociology of science: Study of heterogeneity (the nature of opposi1on, or contrariety of quali1es) Understand standardiza1on à Star is searching for: Alterna2ve modes of heterogeneity

5 Many ways of having many faces We become mul1ple for many reasons: 1: The execu1ve (Pasteur, exercise of power) 2: The tortured split self 3:The marginalized

6 Suppor1ng the monsters Unlike Latour, wants to take sides. Wants to start with the outcast and the monster. Ourselves as monsters, cyborgs, impure. Refuse the images of the execu5ve where the work that is delegated is not shown. Not become pure. Accept mul5ple membership. Refusing transla1on. a collec2ve resistance ( ) the personal is poli2cal (Star 1991: 30)

7 The problem with (techno)science Science freezes knowledge inside black boxes Technology has played a mayor part in problem solving (ignored before) Science has in a larger sense legi1mized other ac1vi1es As a social glue, has a special place in making social order.

8 How truths are made Interessment: Transla1on of knowledge from one realm to another. And disciplining it to stabilize a powerful network. How to discuses the suppressed? Is this goal meaningless or is the crea1on of scien1fic fact bias towards the victor, and warlike?

9 Mission: provide some tools to help these discussions. 1: Find resources to do more work on tradi1onally underrepresented perspec1ves 2: Using mul1plicity as the point of departure 3:How to model (not translate) the heterogenei1es in any network

10 Being allergic to onions McDonald s scenario - value system and behaviors Adjus1ng poli1cs and market - the field of special needs Two illusions; - misfit between standardized/ conven1onal technological systems and individual needs - perfect flexibility

11 Sociology of technology s McDonald s market success McDonald s culture of exclusion many faces Feminist analysis VS ANT approach; - including the non- user - heterogeneity - cyborg; rela1onship between standardized technologies an local experience

12 Cri1que of ANT Stabilizing networks over 1me Lack of irreversibility - science studies - establishing the Truth - who benefits from networks externali1es? Establishment of new communi1es; - either too expensive or alterna1ve communi1es are developed - Becker s analysis of maverick ar1sts (1982); - how external poli1cs affect communi1es of prac1ce - ( ) the sets of conven1ons are never stable for non- members [within networks] Star 1991:41

13 Distribu1on of the conven1onal Looking beyond human/nonhuman (actor) mingling - beneficial networks, for whom? - the former, user and maintainer of networks - boundaries within networks - establishment of mee1ng point between externali1es and internali1es, also within science studies - establishment of standards The produc1vity paradox (David 1989); - economy technology produc1on

14 The transi1on regime hypothesis Invisible work of prac1ce balancing membership poli1cs of iden1ty they are cri1cal for the economics of networks

15 high tension zone a kind of zero point between dichotomies male/female, society/ technology, either/or Jan: transsexual surgery example elements of spliong involve: - - mul1ple membership - - maintaining the ' high tension' zone while acknowledging the cost of maintaining it - - the cost of membership in mul1ple arenas - - mul1vocality and transla1on

16 Mul1ple memberships, mul1ple marginali1es mul1ple memberships play itself in the human rela1ons change from marginality to membership We are all marginal in some regard, as members of more than one community of prac1ce.

17 Concluding thoughts Star wants tools to be able to talk about the outsiders, the people in the high tension zones. She wants flexible standerds within science and society But what form of society does she really want?

18 Freaky, freaky canine cyborgs