cfp: The politics of progress

Die Kollegen Bettina Paul, Larissa Firscher und Thorsten Voigt veranstalten auf der 4S/EASST-Konferenz, 18.-21. August 2020 in Prag, folgendes Panel und laden dazu ein Beiträge einzuschicken.

Der Einsendeschluss für Vorschläge ist am 29.2.2020.

188. The politics of progress

Torsten H Voigt, RWTH Aachen University; Larissa Fischer, RWTH Aachen University; Bettina Paul, Universität Hamburg

Since industrialization, modern societies were defined by progress in various forms, most notably economic and technological growth as well as the idea of scientific progress. Despite Thomas Kuhn’s (1962) seminal work on the myth of scientific progress as a linear process, ideas and concepts about progress are still mostly characterized by incremental change to the better. In other words, progress is considered to introduce novel technologies, ideas, and practices. Progress, however, is not always understood as new, innovative, or scientific. It can come in many different shapes, forms, and practices depending on time and space. Progress and tradition need not be mutually exclusive. It may mean the use of an old technology in a new setting. A practice or technology may also be framed as progress but in fact turn out to be standstill or even regress from a certain perspective, for a particular group of actors or a particular practice.

Borrowing from Law and Joks (2018) as well as Danyi (2016) we invite contributions that trace the politics of who, politics of what and politics of how of progress in today’s society. Who considers certain practices, developments and technologies as progress? What is considered progress? And most importantly, how is progress enacted in practices thus shaping different realities? How do those practices relate to different understandings of progress? How does it gain significance and agency in emerging worlds? We are interested in contributions that address a broad range of understandings and practices of progress.

Contact: thvoigt@soziologie.rwth-aachen.de

Formalien und Prozedere rund um die Einreichung findet sich hier: https://www.easst4s2020prague.org/call-for-papers-and-panels/