Short Abstract

This workshop invites STS researchers to reflect on positionality, critique, and meaningful participation in science and engineering spaces through ethnographic vignettes and discussion. In person, 90 minutes, max 50 participants.

Description

Researchers’ positionality in relation to their object of study has long been a focus in Science and Technology Studies (STS). Critically examining the role of social scientists in innovation allows reflection on our agency and capacity to respond to hype narratives, while engaging with timely debates on the social responsibility of science (Timmermans and Blok, 2021; de Melo-Martín and Intemann, 2023). Accessing science and engineering spaces often requires complex negotiations of research ambitions, disciplinary identity, and epistemic commitments. When asked about the ‘usefulness’ or ‘impact’ of STS knowledge, scholars may compromise, dilute, or reframe their agendas to appear more palatable—though sometimes less provocative—to their interlocutors, including through tick-box exercises.

Prior work highlights how STS studies, particularly participatory ones, risk being instrumentalised to promote public acceptance of emerging science and technologies (Joly, 2015). In response, some advocate for “critical participation,” fostering reflexive (co-)production of socio-technical knowledge (York, 2018; Downey, 2021). Others note how innovation regimes, policy priorities, and hype cycles shape researchers’ degrees of “dis/engagement” with emerging science and technology innovation (Kastenhofer and Vermeulen, 2024). These pressures intersect with career and institutional demands, such as aligning research with targeted funding, complicating the balance between research integrity, reflexive positionality, critique, and meaningful participation.

This workshop brings together STS researchers to share perspectives and personal experiences “from the field,” fostering collective reflection on the tensions, risks, and creative possibilities of participation within socio-technical spaces. Through ethnographic vignettes and guided discussion, participants will explore identity, expertise, power, normativity, hype, and critique as they emerge in peer review, grant writing, ethnography, and policy engagement.

The workshop will take place in person as a single 90-minute session and will be open to a maximum of 50 participants across all career stages.