Summer Traineeships 2008
July 7, 2008
Holidays Scientific Occupation of Youths 
From July 21st to 25th, secondary school students will have the opportunity of contacting with research carried out by CES.
Shooting-point
Researchers: José Manuel Pureza, Sílvia Roque e Rita Santos
‘Beyond several hunting weapons, pistols and ammunition, two war weapons were also apprehended (…)’. News such as this give notice of the frequent presence of light arms in violence practices in Portugal. But, this is a reality poorly studied, both regarding the dimension of the problem, as the profound motives and different types of effects. This traineeship integrates two main components. One incurs on the study of the proliferation and use of weapons in Portugal (survey of bibliography, statistical data, etc). The other falls upon the realization of questionnaires and interviews to specialists of the public security sector in Coimbra.
The digital deferential in internet uses
Researchers: Virgínia Ferreira e Mónica Lopes
The digital gap between sexes is a phenomenon internationally studied by social analysts. We know, since the 80s, that men and women have different uses and approach styles regarding computers. Recent studies continue to confirm different uses of internet by boys and girls – boys with a more ludic and exploratory style and girls with a more utilitarian and communicative one. The aim of this traineeship consists in verifying, through interviews, possible alterations in the using styles of boys and girls (age group 18 to 24), now that the age group differential narrows more and more in Portugal.
Possible views: the different uses of image in contemporary societies
Researchers: Giovanni Allegretti, Juliana Torquato e Cristiano F. Lima
Image can be used as a forma of observation, revelation and discovery of the world, offering a more critical reflection on social, political, cultural and environmental issues. Hence, this traineeship has as aim the comprehension of the different uses of image in the Social Sciences and their contribution towards a critically based construction regarding social issues. The activities taking place will include the exploration of audiovisual resources (such as films and photographs), illustrating the possible uses of images in Social Sciences, and field trips during which images concerning relevant themes of contemporary societies, shall be created (photographs).
Information – cienciaviva@ces.uc.pt
Risk as Discourse
November 12, 2007
CfP ‘Risk as Discourse’ 10-11 July 2008 – Hertfordshire UK
”Call for papers for a session stream “Risk as Discourse”.
In public and academic discourse risk gained ground in the last decades. Many sociologists believe that risk has become the core category to understand social reproduction and change (Beck 1992; Giddens 1991). However, there are still major debates about the characteristics of risk as a social semantic and how risk occupies a position as a social “master-discourse”.
This session invites papers from linguistics researchers, sociologists and other social scientists who examine the semantic of risk, how risk discourse takes place in different social domains and how it developed historically. Contributions which reflect on the ideological character of risk are particularly welcome.
Please send abstracts no longer than 400 words by end of November 2007 to j.zinn@kent.ac.uk”
Further details here
Science and Democracy Network
June 13, 2007
Science and Democracy Network Sixth Annual Meeting 2007
The Sixth Annual Meeting of the SDN will take place at the University of Cambridge, on June 27-29, 2007, and will be jointly sponsored by the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities (CRASSH) at Cambridge. Click here for more information about the meeting, including the program and pre-circulated papers.
Through an annual workshop and other activities, the science and democracy network (SDN) seeks to:
- create an international network of scholars and practitioners interested in the democratic governance of science and technology;
- promote scholarly exploration of the democratic steering, conduct, and uses of science and technology;
- improve the quality, visibility, and dissemination of the research of young scholars;
- connect the normative and political analysis of science and technology to relevant work in adjacent disciplines, such as law, ethics, and political science; and,
- communicate perspectives from S&TS to policy actors and contribute to social problem-solving.
SCIENCE MATTERS: A Unified Perspective
May 29, 2007
All earnest and honest human quests for knowledge are efforts to understand nature, which includes all human and nonhuman systems, the objects of study in science. Thus, broadly speaking, these quests (as well as the systems being studied) are science matters. The methods and tools used may be different; for example, the literary people use mainly their bodily sensors and their brain as the information processor, while natural scientists may use, in addition, measuring instruments and computers. Yet, all these activities could be viewed in a unified perspective—they are scientific developments at varying stages of maturity and have a lot to learn from each other. In this conference, we invite experts from different disciplines worldwide to share their experience and outlooks, and hopefully plan the future together. Many of the topics included in this conference are under the name of science and culture, science and art, science and society, etc. We do not think these descriptions are useful. For example, by saying “science and culture,” it implies that science and culture are two different things, which could be opposing each other. Instead, we view them as different aspects of the same thing the effort to understand nature, and a new word “science matters” is called for. More…
EPTA conference 2006: Energy transition in Europe
November 22, 2006
Energy systems in transition was on the agenda when delegates from 12 European parliaments gathered on 17 October in Oslo, Norway for the 2006 EPTA conference.
Climate change and increasing energy demand have made the transition to new energy systems a major challenge for Europe. Countries and regions aim to reduce emissions of CO2 and other climate gases, to increase energy production from renewable and other sources, and to improve security of supply.
The EPTA conference 2006 brought parliamentarians, experts and officials the opportunity to come together and discuss and exchange experiences in persuing these goals.
The conference addressed four policy areas in particular:
- How can parliaments help the transition to low-fossil systems?
- Renewable energy – what difference can it make?
- Nuclear energy – can we do without it?
- Will clean fossils be clean enough?
The EPTA conference 2006 was hosted by the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget ) and the Norwegian Board of Technology.
The Norwegian Board of Technology holds the EPTA presidency in 2006.
Programme here.
First Announcement and Call for Papers
More details can be found at: www.itas.fzk.de/v/nta2/cfp_e.htm
Aims and issues of the conference
If these assumptions are (completely or partially) correct, this must have an effect on the way how TA is able to fulfil its tasks in research and consultancy in such a changed and still changing world society. Against this background, the following questions are addressed:
Section 1: “Global” technology
To what extent have the genesis and use of technology changed? What is special about “global” TA? How does the group of actors in the development and production of technology expand? How is it possible to consider the differing social adaptation in different cultural contexts? What other criteria for “good” technology and appropriate processes of technology design can be formulated against the background of the diversity of standards?
Section 2: “Global” politics
What are the resulting consequences for the question of the addressees of TA? Who shall be advised in an increasingly globally organised world? What decision-making processes have to be considered by TA to ensure effective work? Who is able to design technology at the global level, and what governance models are related to this? Or do the “classic” addressees of TA like national parliaments and governments still remain important and perhaps only need “another form of” advice?
Section 3: TA in the “global” world
How will the traditional methodological fields of TA be influenced by the development towards a world society? If world society involves new addressees or generates new paths of technology development, this can lead to changes in the “TA toolbox”. Are there any new (global) cooperation patterns and forms of work that allow TA to operate in a globalised world? How can participatory procedures be implemented at a European or global level, particularly in view of the fact that civil society actors and NGOs have gained increasing influence and must be considered stronger in the opinion forming process. Does the global perspective lead to a strengthening of expert TA because it becomes easier to make statements of “international validity”, or does the diversity of scientific cultures involved have the opposite effect?
At the conference, these questions shall be addressed at the conceptual level, on the one hand, and on the basis of real case studies, on the other hand. The case studies shall be both “best” or “good practices” and shall also provide examples of how known TA concepts are coming under pressure of change through the development towards a world society.
Call for Papers
The conference consists of invited papers, submitted papers, and a poster session. The languages of the conference will be German and English.
Abstracts (max. 500 words) with indication of the address of the speaker and the intended section (technical sections 1 to 3 as listed above, or [junior] poster session) can be sent electronically to the organisers
Deadline for the submission of proposals is 9. June 2006.
Deadline for submissions has been extended till 7th of July 2006.
Notification about acceptance by the end of July.
Promotion of junior TA scientists
The conference particularly aims at promoting junior scientists and therefore will hold a poster session with young scientists (graduands, doctoral candidates) working in the field of technology assessment or on the conference theme.
Conference scholarships (travel and accommodation expenses) are available for doctoral candidates and young scientists (up to 5 postdoctoral years). To apply for such a scholarship, please send a short motivation letter and a CV together with the abstract (see: Call for papers).
The “TA network”
The German-language “Netzwerk TA” (TA Network) is an association of scientists and experts in the field of “technology assessment”. The aims of the network are to exchange information, to identify common research and advisory tasks, to initiate and support methodological developments, as well as to strengthen the role of TA in science and society. The network also serves as a platform for cooperations and joint actions. The “Netzwerk TA” website is available at http://www.netzwerk-ta.net
