Call for papers | STS Italia Conference 2023 hosted by UNIBO: new deadline 22nd January 2023

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

The STS Italia Conference 2023 (28-30 June) – titled “Interesting Worlds to come. Science & Technology Studies facing more-than-human challenges” – will be hosted by the Department of Philosophy and Communication Studies of the University of Bologna.   

The BIT-ACT team will lead the Panel 23, titled “Unpacking the entanglements of governance with technoscience: is it an 'interesting' challenge in addressing good governance?”. We welcome paper proposals contributing to the effort of unpacking the issue of good governance looking at the “interesting” role that technologies might play within the process. Some scholars frame this issue by looking at the development of e-governance tools and the improvement of governance metrics, especially in countries of the global south (Haque and Pathrannarakul 2013; Juiz et al. 2014; Malik et al. 2014; Saidi and Yared 2003). Others consider the challenging role played by the introduction of artificial intelligence to governance processes (eg. Ulnicane et al., 2021). Technoscientific innovations to address present-day problems have been on the rise with governments, public and private institutions, civil society and the general public all treating such innovations as the panacea (Pfotenhauer et al. 2019; Pfotenhauer and Jasanoff 2017). However, we argue that technological innovations (re)present an “interesting challenge” in themselves that may (or may not) foster good governance and may even raise additional challenges related to unintended consequences resulting from use. 

These are some of the questions that the panel seeks to interrogate: 

- What kind of agency does technology lend to institutions, governments, organisations, civil society and members of the public to ensure better governance? 

- Are there intrinsic affordances of technology which can be designed by different groups of actors? Do certain affordances come to the fore only through the use of technological tools? 

- Can technology lead to more ethical and responsible institutions? Are those technologies inherently ethical themselves? 

More details on Panel 23 here

More info on the call for abstracts and key dates here