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CSS colloquium: Dick Kasperowski, University of Gothenburg

Citizen science: distribution, epistemic subjects, cultures and citizenship

Info about event

Time

Wednesday 4 December 2019,  at 14:15 - 15:45

Location

G4 (1532-222)

Abstract

Open, and citizen, science is creating expectations and concerns both in science and policy. Imaginaries are produced of (ir)responsible, transparent, open, democratized, citizen and stakeholder-driven science. Such statements beg an answer to the empirical question of what the relation of such expectations are to the different practices of citizen science. In this presentation, different forms of citizen science, their distributive character, epistemic cultures and subjects will be exemplified. The current “openness turn” in science, in which citizen science is commonly understood and realized, include the opening up of up-stream aspects of the scientific process, such as open methods, open data and openness for volunteers and stakeholders to contribute to the research or policy process. Such practices are now becoming increasingly institutionalized. At the same time, several community-based or social movement initiatives have emerged seeking epistemic representation and justice where normal science can’t give it. As such, the citizen scientist also appears as a producer of scientific data outside the conventional borders of science. From these, sometimes conflicting forms of citizen science the presentation will end on a more speculative note, bringing forward the seldom discussed issue if and how citizen science can produce an “apolitical” citizenship embodying both epistemic and political representation, but creating epistocracies.

Coffee, tea, cakes and fruit will be served before the colloquium @ 2 pm