Calvin Wu, Science for the People; Camille Rullán, Science for the People; edward millar, X University
Posted: February 28, 2022 Accepted Languages: English/Inglés/Inglês, Spanish/Español/Espanhol
Born out of the antiwar movement in 1969, Science for the People (SftP) placed its investigations of the influences of social relations on the production of knowledge at the forefront of its publication and activism. As radical scientists and practitioners directly opposed to the hegemonic socio-political system, SftP pursued parallel goals to STS: elucidating the political economy of science, democratizing scientific research, and identifying and defending alternative epistemologies. Revitalized in 2015 after a 25-year dormancy, a new generation of scientists now aspires to change how science is practiced. While STS has formulated a body of work that is well-positioned to assist in scientists’ efforts to radically reconfigure their research, these theories are not always easily translated into actionable and applicable knowledge that practitioners can readily use in the lab or the field. SftP welcomes submissions that elucidate how scientists should integrate the insights of STS into their work and practice: case studies of research conducted outside of captured institutions; examples of the inversion of power relations within universities to reorient research agendas towards emancipatory ends; frameworks that dispel scientism while preserving the value of science as contested terrain on which ideological battles must be fought and won; strategies for radicalizing scientists from within traditionally apolitical fields; and mechanisms for tackling precarity and organizing against capital. We seek the reunion of STS theory and scientific practice, charting a path toward socializing the lab and building a science for the people.
