Rethinking constructive technology assessment as democratic, reflective, discourse

Where are the politics in responsible innovation? European governance, technology assessments, and beyond

“…Similarly, although initiators invoked procedural norms for all project participants to adhere to, they left unspecified how their normative, procedural vision of participation draws on deliberative ideals and democratic theory. Thus, deliberative TA practitioners in NanoSoc did not articulate or develop the principle of democracy to which they implicitly adhere (see Genus 2006).…”

“…In fact, a longstanding criticism of such 68 M. van Oudheusden approaches is that although they concern themselves with political and normative issues in science and technology, and despite their understanding that science is not a neutral, disinterested enterprise, they fail to critically engage with their own norms and politics (Radder 1992;Fuller 2000;Genus 2006;Pestre 2008). With a few notable exceptions (e.g.…”

Inclusive design: beyond capabilities towards context of use

“…However, Inclusive Design could learn from the 'participatory design' approach, which formulates through theory, practice and analysis these processes more clearly [25]. In the constructive technology assessment approach (a form of participatory design), a panel of relevant people oversee the whole process of innovation and are charged to guide the total process and not simply provide design inspiration [13,31,32]. The trend towards understanding context is extended in Science and Technology studies to include the design process itself in context.…”

Changing landscapes of surveillance: emerging technologies and participatory surveillance in Dutch nightscapes

“…Finally, based on this data, insight will be provided both in terms of content (concerning stakeholder expectations for the future of the Dutch surveillance landscape) and in terms of method (concerning the contribution of this specific workshop design to the body of CTA-methods and possible alternative methodologies for engaging with stakeholders). (Genus, 2006). These interactions can be seen as bridging events, where experts of science and technology ('insiders') in one way or another encounter laypersons ('outsiders') that are affected by new science or technology (see figure 1).…”