Science, Social Theory and Public Knowledge

How might social theory, public understanding of science and science policy best inform one another? What have been the key features of science-society relations in the modern world? How are we to re-think science-society relations in the context of globalization, hybridity and changing patterns of [...]
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How might social theory, public understanding of science and science policy best inform one another? What have been the key features of science-society relations in the modern world? How are we to re-think science-society relations in the context of globalization, hybridity and changing patterns of governance? "Science, Social Theory and Public Knowledge" uniquely draws together the three key perspectives on science-society relations: public understanding of science, scientific and public governance, and social theory. Engaging with a series of case studies (including the debates on genetically modified foods and the AIDS movement in the USA), the ways in which social theorists, social scientists, and science policy makers deal with science-society relations are critically discussed. In the process, it is shown that 'science' and 'society' combine in many complex ways and that concepts such as citizenship, expertise, governance, democracy and the public need to be re-thought in the context of contemporary concerns with globalization and hybridity.To this end, a radical new approach is developed and the notion of ethno-epistemic assemblage is used to articulate a new series of questions for the theorization, empirical study and politics of science-society relations.