New project: Visions as socio-epistemic practices
About two years ago, researchers at ITAS investigating socio-technical visions in different fields started to discuss and exchange ideas. The interest for this topic within and beyond the institute and the many open, scientifically demanding questions have led to the institutionalization of the group in a research project. The new project "Visions as socio-epistemic practices. Theoretical foundation and practical application of Vision Assessment in Technology Assessment" is led by Andreas Lösch and Knud Böhle. Further members of the project team are Christopher Coenen, Arianna Ferrari and Reinhard Heil as well as Sümeyye Özmen, Martin Sand and Christoph Schneider whose PhD projects are within the scope of the project.
The analysis, assessment and the shaping of visions related to novel technologies turned into an issue (again) for TA with the uptake of New and Emerging Technologies (NEST). So far however, Vision Assessment focused its efforts on the analysis and assessment of imaginations and media content and on "Reality checks" aiming in this context to assess the techno-scientific feasibility and ethical desirability of the visionary contents. This perspective and practice of Vision Assessment needs to be broadened and back upped theoretically and methodologically. New particular topics of research are "visioneering" understood as the practice of strategic and conscious design of visions and "Vision Assessment" itself as a practice aiming to influence visions and visioneers. (15.01.2015)
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