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5 Critical and Cultural Studies of Science and Technology Cultural studies is an interdisciplinary conversation that, like STS, defies easy definition. In Britain cultural studies was historically associated with the Birmingham Centre for Cultural Studies. The key features of British cultural studies include (I) theoretical frameworks that first drew on Western Marxism (such as Gramsci) and semiotics, followed by feminism and other frameworks; (2) a focus on contemporary popular culture, subcultures , and the mass media rather than high culture, as in traditional literature and art studies; (3) a range of social science and humanities methods (archival, ethnographic, textual criticism); and (4) a politically engaged perspective.1 In North America cultural studies tends to draw more on some type oflanguage theory (e.g., poststructuralism) and to be more concerned with feminist, queer, antiracist, and postcolonial identity issues. North American cultural studies also tends to be dominated by humanities scholars in literature studies, film studies, and interdisciplinary departments such as women's studies.2 In STS circles in the United States, some researchers view cultural studies of science and technology as the successor to the various constructivisms considered in the previous chapter. The growing participation of women, people of color, new professional organizations, and new disciplines (anthropology, literary studies) supports this contention. However, the definition of cultural studies of science and technology is complicated and ambiguous. In science studies, the participation of anthropologists and historians is probably greater than in North American cultural studies as a whole. Some anthropologists and historians reject the label cultural studies because of its associations with poststructuralist literary criticism and identity politics. Those who accept the label or at least see themselves as friendly to cultural studies have tended to redefine the field along lines that are similar to British cultural studies. Therefore, social theory tends to occupy a greater place in the cultural studies of science and technology than in II2 Critical and Cultural Studies II 3 American cultural studies as a whole. Feminist and queer theory often serves as a bridge between the two, as in the work of Donna Haraway. Likewise, the STS context tends to favor fieldwork, ethnographic interviews , and archival research over the text-oriented critical methods or impressionistic observational methods that are characteristic of American cultural studies in general. In my opinion, cultural studies of science and technology therefore tends to be more rigorous theoretically and methodologically -and more toward the social science/history ends ofthe humanities /social sciences arena-than North American cultural studies as a whole. Additional features of cultural studies of science and technology include the tendencies to focus on questions of culture and power (particularly as theorized from feminist, postcolonial, and antiracist standpoints), to problematize contemporary science and technology historically as part of the postmodern condition, to examine how nonexperts and historically excluded groups reconstruct science and technology, and to forge alliances between researchers and activistlinterventionist social agendas.3 The term "critical" is equally ambiguous and complex in the contemporary STS context. In the humanities the term "critical theory" usually refers to a theory of literary or cultural criticism, in other words, a theory that helps guide the interpretation of texts. In the social sciences the same term often refers to the Western Marxist tradition associated with the Frankfurt school and post-Marxist researchers influenced by the school, such as Jurgen Habermas (Held 1980). In STS the term is sometimes used to describe the confluence of research traditions that includes feminist/ antiracist studies, critics of the technological society, radical science researchers , and various other scholars who are concerned with issues of social justice and democracy. The category ofcritical STS therefore overlaps with but is not continuous with cultural studies of science and technology. As is evident, the terminology is confusing even for a reasonably well placed native speaker like myself, and even this attempt at a nonpolemical mapping is likely to be contested. Critical science studies per se can be traced to the radical science movements within science that began in the 1930S and 1940S and grew substantially during and after the events of the 196os. Some of the movements and journals include the British Society for Social Responsibility in Science (Science for People), Scientists and Engineers for Social and Political Action (Science for the People), and Radical Science Journal (now Science as Culture), as well as organizations such as the Radical Science Collective and the women's health movement organizations. The Rensselaer Science and [3.145.152.98] Project MUSE (2024-04-25 08:19 GMT...

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