scholarly journals STS AND THE POSSIBLE FUTURE OF THE SCIENCE MUSEUM: TOWARDS A NEW KUNSTKAMMER

Author(s):  
Александр Александрович Писарев

В статье обсуждается репрезентация науки в музеях и центрах науки и техники и очерчивается возможная концепция музея технонауки, который бы восполнял ограничения и умолчания этой реперзентации. В отличие от этих институций музей технонауки посвящен не тому, что ученые знают о природе, а тому, как они получают это знание, как оно существует и применяется, то есть, метанаучным вопросам. Для решения этой задачи новый музей должен опираться на идеи и результаты исследований науки и техники (STS), а также истории и философии науки. Вполне возможно, что сегодня путь разума к совершеннолетию должен проходить не только через научное просвещение, но и через критическое метанаучное просвещение. В первой части статьи описывается общая логика и контекст репрезентации науки и техники в современных музеях и центрах науки и техники. Их основные задачи — способствовать повышению понимания науки обществом и привлекательности профессий научно-технической области. Обычно это достигается за счет акцента на чистой науке в ущерб прикладной: ядром музеев и центров являются экспозиции, представляющие результаты научного познания, систематизированные в научную картину мира. О технике говорится скорее как о непроблематичном «применении» знания или комплексе утилитарных функций: мало внимания уделяется сложному устройству инженерии и создаваемому техникой социальному порядку. Об устройстве самой науки говорится мало, в основном о научном методе. Этот подход подвергается критическому анализу. Помимо прочего критикуется акцент на чистой науке в ущерб прикладной, натурализация и идеализация знания за счет устранения контекстов его производства, существования и применения. В силу двойной невидимости авторства (науки — по отношению к знанию, музея — по отношению к экспозиции) и трансляции знания в режиме безальтернативности и полноты («парадигма Псафона», П. Бурдье) музеи науки функционируют как музеи-храмы (Д. Кэмерон). Приводятся доводы в пользу обращения к обсуждению устройства науки и техники с опорой на результаты исследований науки и техники. Оно предполагает создание музея или экспозиции, которые дополняли бы существующие музеи и центры. Его рабочее название — музей технонауки. Во второй части обсуждается его возможная концепция. Приводятся примеры тематики, раскрываются некоторые принципы организации: двойное видение, пересборка предмета, собственной позиции и аудитории, музей-бриколер, музей-форум. Эти принципы сближают музей технонауки с кунсткамерой в противовес модерным музеям науки. В качестве одного из возможных подходов построения экспозиции обсуждается историзация существующих форм науки и техники. Ориентирами из истории выставок могут служить Les Immatériaux (1985) под кураторством Ж.-Ф. Лиотара и Iconoclash: Beyond the Image Wars in Science, Religion and Art (2002) под кураторством Б. Латура. В заключение концепция музея технонауки резюмируются в своде ценностей: продуктивное незнание, критика, разнообразие, дискуссионность. The article analyzes the representation of science in science and technology museums and centers, and outlines the possible concept of a museum of technoscience that would compensate their limitations and omissions. In contrast, the museum of technoscience is not dedicated to what scientists know about nature, but to how they get this knowledge, how it exists and is applied, that is, to metascientific issues. To meet this challenge, the new museum should be based on the ideas of Science and Technology Studies (STS), and of the History and Philosophy of Science. It is likely that today the path of reason to maturity should pass not only through scientific education, but also through metascientific education, that is, through STS and the History and Philosophy of Science. The first part of the article describes the general logic and context of the representation of science and technology in actual science and technology museums and centers. The main aims of such museums and centers are to contribute to increasing the public understanding of science and the attractiveness of professions in the STEM field. These aims are usually achieved by focusing on pure science at the expense of applied science and engineering. Technology is represented as an unproblematized “application” of knowledge. There is also little talk about the structure of scientific production of knowledge, mainly the scientific method is communicated. This approach is being critically analyzed. Among other issues, the naturalization and idealization of knowledge, double invisibility of authorship (science in relation to knowledge, museum in relation to the exhibition) are criticized. Arguments are given in favor of the desirability of addressing the discussion of the structure of science and technology based on the results of science and technology studies. It involves the creation of a museum or exhibition that would complement existing museums and science centers. Its working name is the museum of technoscience. The second part of the article describes the possible conception of the technoscience museum. Examples of topics are given, some principles of the organization are revealed: double vision, reassembling of the subject, museum position and audience, museum as a bricoleur, museum as a forum. These principles bring the museum of technoscience closer to the kunstkammer in contrast to modern museums of science. The historization of existing forms of science and technology is discussed as one of the possible approaches to the construction of the exposition. Les Immatériaux (1985) by J.-F. Lyotard and Iconoclash: Beyond the Image Wars in Science, Religion and Art (2002) by B. Latour can serve as landmarks from the history of exhibitions. In conclusion, the conception of the museum of technoscience is summarized in a set of values: productive ignorance, criticism, diversity, controversiality.

2001 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54
Author(s):  
Sandra Harding

Science and technology studies have emerged from distinctive intellectual and political histories and interests in the last half of the Twentieth Century. Here I look at some central concerns in multicultural and postcolonial science and technology studies,  and  try  to  identify  some  of  the  issues  that  these  raise  for  conventional postpositivist philosophies of Western modern sciences and technologies. In some respects the former provide additional evidence for postpositivist revisions of philosophy of science; in other respects they raise new issues. In both respects they can motivate critical re-evaluations of modernity, enlightenment and the Liberal political philosophy embedded in Western philosophies of science.


Author(s):  
Simone Tosoni ◽  
Trevor Pinch

The chapter addresses the popularization of the main acquisitions of social constructionist sociology in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), done by Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch in the volumes of their Golem trilogy, dedicated respectively to science, technology and medicine. The polemical target of the trilogy, the "flip-flop" understanding of science, technology and medicine, that induces the public to oscillate from an unconditioned trust in scientist, engineers and medics as god-like figures, to a complete skepticism and distrust and vice versa. The chapter also addressed the reasons behind the harsh confrontations between constructionist sociologists of science and scientists occurred in the '90s, known as "Science Wars", and some events connected to the confrontations, like the famous hoax by Alan Sokal.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Lewis ◽  
Susan Bisson ◽  
Katie Swaden Lewis ◽  
Luis Reyes-Galindo ◽  
Amy J. Baldwin

Cardiff sciSCREEN is a public engagement programme that brings together local experts and publics to discuss issues raised by contemporary cinema. Since 2010, Cardiff sciSCREEN (short for science on screen) has exhibited more than 50 films alongside short talks and discussions that draw on a range of disciplinary perspectives to explore the broad repertoire of themes found within different film genres. The aim of Cardiff sciSCREEN is to increase the local community's access to university research, while enabling university staff and students to engage a variety of publics with their work. In this paper, we first describe our method of public engagement, and then draw on data from a research survey we administered to sciSCREENers to discuss the relationship between the theory and practice of public engagement. Using research from public understanding of science (PUS), public engagement with science and technology (PEST), science and technology studies (STS) and film literacy, we discuss the ways in which our flexible characterization of science has made the programme inclusive, attracting a wide and varied audience. We consider the benefits of cross-disciplinary perspectives when communicating and engaging contemporary developments in science, where the term 'science' is taken to stand for the breadth of academic research and not merely the natural sciences, as well as discussing the importance of space in public engagement events.


2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-116
Author(s):  
Basile Zimmermann

Abstract Chinese studies are going through a period of reforms. This article appraises what could constitute the theoretical and methodological foundations of contemporary sinology today. The author suggests an approach of “Chinese culture” by drawing from recent frameworks of Science and Technology Studies (STS). The paper starts with current debates in Asian studies, followed by a historical overview of the concept of culture in anthropology. Then, two short case studies are presented with regard to two different STS approaches: studies of expertise and experience and the notion of interactional expertise, and the framework of waves and forms. A general argument is thereby sketched which suggests how “Chinese culture” can be understood from the perspective of materiality.


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