19. Claiming Technology: Nationalism and Knowledge Production in the 21st Century
Anne Warren Johnson, Universidad Iberoamericana Cuidad de Mexico; Sandra Patricia Gonzalez-Santos, Universidad Anahuac
Posted: February 28, 2022 Accepted Languages: English/Inglés/Inglês, Spanish/Español/Espanhol
STS has shown that no scientific, technological, political, social, artistic, or any sort of achievement, discovery or invention is done by one single person; rather, these are in fact complex assemblages of heterogenous elements. Therefore, it surely no longer makes sense to talk about “national” technology given the global circulation of things, ideas and people that characterizes modern society. And yet, national origins continue to play an important political role, at least discursively, in the ways in which technology is debated, celebrated or dismissed. So, what makes technology “national”? Is it about the nationality of the people involved in the creation of technology? Does it have to do with where technological knowledge-making occurs, or the national origins of its components? Or is it about where the technology itself is “applied”, regardless of its origin? Can the attribution of national labels to technological products and processes visibilize the margins of technological development? Or does it simply replicate outdated nationalist discourse?
In this panel, we will think collectively about the process of the assignment of nationality to technological processes and products, privileging creative presentations and dialogue as a means of reflecting on the complex relations between technology, centers and margins, identity and nationality. We invite people to accompany their proposals with short vignettes that will serve as starting points for this discussion.
