[Air-L] [CfP - 4S 2021]

[Baptiste Kotras]

Dear fellow Internet researchers, 

Please find [ https://www.4sonline.org/128-new-wars-on-science-the-reconfiguration-of-contemporary-contestations-of-science/ | here ] (and below) the call for our open panel at the next 4S Conference, " New Wars on Science. The Reconfiguration of Contemporary Contestations of Science ", which will take place in Toronto and online, from October 6th to 9th 2021. 

This open panel aims to investigate the recent and growing contestation of epistemic authorities (scientific institutions, the media, the State). We would very much appreciate to receive submissions studying such contestations and controversies within digital worlds, through ethnographic and/or digital methods, as the Internet clearly is a crucial space in this matter. 

Submissions (250 words) should highlight the main argument, the methods and the theoretical frame employed. Deadline is March 8th . 

Please feel free to contact us for any question you might have. 

To submit your paper: [ https://convention2.allacademic.com/one/ssss/ssss21/ | https://convention2.allacademic.com/one/ssss/ssss21/ ] 

Best, 

Henri Boullier [ [ mailto:henri.boullier at dauphine.psl.eu | henri.boullier at dauphine.psl.eu] ] 
Baptiste Kotras [baptiste.kotras at u-pem.fr] 

New Wars on Science. The Reconfiguration of Contemporary Contestations of Science 



Lots of debates have recently arised about an alleged crisis of trust in science. Scientific knowledge is increasingly entangled in crossed accusations of ‘fakeness’, conspiracy and falsification, on a number of critical issues (vaccines, pollution, climate, etc.). To make sense of this somewhat blurry picture, this panel argues for the necessity to go back to the basics of STS, adopting a symmetrical approach of contemporary contestations of science. This way, we wish to depict a large continuum of critiques, mobilizations and material resources at play in the transformation of the way we collectively apprehend the scientific truth. Contributions could follow three lines of research: 




(1) by analyzing the material practices of so-called alternative science: how do climate skeptics or anti-vaxxers (for instance) collect data, design experiments, publicize results supporting their marginated theories? 




(2) by documenting how corporate actors strive to undermine scientific consensus in order to defend their interests (building networks of journals, think tanks, philanthropic organizations, etc.) and/or how scientific institutions deal with such corporate involvement in knowledge production; 




(3) by investigating the mobilization of heterogeneous actors (scientists, journalists, physicians) to fight what they consider irrational attacks against reason and progress. What kind of strategies, arguments and alliances do they build to “debunk fake science”? 




We welcome a variety of cases and methods, in particular analyses focusing on the Global South (with different epistemic traditions & non-hegemonic scientific production), and/or using digital methods. 


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Baptiste KOTRAS 
Chercheur postdoc au LISIS 
Postdoctoral researcher at LISIS 
IFRIS / Université Paris-Est