Suchergebnisse

Considering Space demonstrates what has changed in the perception of space within the social sciences and how useful – indeed indispensable – this category is today.

While the seemingly deterritorializing effects of digitalization might suggest that space is a secondary consideration, this book proves such a presumption wrong, with territories, borders, distances, proximity, geographical ecologies, land use, physical infrastructures – as well as concepts of space – all being shown still to matter, perhaps more than ever before.

Seeking to show how society can and should be perceived as spatial, it will appeal to scholars of sociology, geography, architecture and urban studies.

The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Funded by the DeutscheForschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – Projektnummer 290045248 – SFB 1265.

States take increasingly part in scientifical matters ever more actively and enthusiastically, e.g., in the design of politics for science or the creation of mechanisms and tools for the evaluation of the performance of entities involved in science. This implication of the state necessarily directs the relation between science and politics. In democratical contexts, these relations are studied within the framework of the Social Contract for Science (CSC) which is a theoretical model for describing and understanding the relationships between the scientific community and politics. In this writing, I shall concentrate on explaining the fundamental characteristics of the classical model of the social contract for science and the new version of this model. I provide arguments that clarify the importance of political actors to commit to helping the scientific community and providing the necessary financial resources for the progress of science, without implying, however, the political intervention of the state in the scientific investigation or the achievement of specific results. It is important on the other hand that the scientific community acknowledges the importance of being able to rely on public financing by the state for the development of scientific investigation, and accept the commitment to integrity, productivity, and high quality in work on the progress of science.

This paper addresses key implications in momentous current global energy choices – both for social science and for society. Energy can be over-used as a lens for viewing social processes. But it is nonetheless of profound importance. Understanding possible 'sustainable energy' transformations requires attention to many tricky issues in social theory: around agency and structure and the interplay of power, contingency and practice. These factors are as much shaping of the knowledges and normativities supposedly driving transformation, as they are shaped by them. So, ideas and hopes about possible pathways for change – as well as notions of 'the transition' itself – can be deeply constituted by incumbent interests. The paper addresses these dynamics by considering contending forms of transformation centring on renewable energy, nuclear power and climate geoengineering. Several challenges are identified for social science. These apply especially where there are aims to help enable more democratic exercise of social agency. They enjoin responsibilities to 'open up' (rather than 'close down'), active political spaces for critical contention over alternative pathways. If due attention is to be given to marginalised interests, then a reflexive view must be taken of transformation. The paper ends with a series of concrete political lessons.

This project incorporates two steps. First, the psychometric model of risk perception is evaluated for its validity under field conditions. Second, individuals are classified as risk amplifiers or attenuators and the characteristics of those groups are explored. Survey data from an ongoing case study is employed in the analysis. The case study involves a Midwestern community in which a controversy exists over the possibility of the existence of a cancer cluster caused by the operation of a small reactor. Results show that the psychometric model of risk perception, while failing to be reproduced precisely, does has utility under the field conditions in this study. Use of the psychometric model to classify individuals as risk amplifiers or risk attenuators produces a useful dichotomy that reveals differences between the two polar groups in terms of demographics, satisfaction with institutional response to the risk, concern over individual and social levels of risk, and the evaluation of various communication channels as having been useful in coming to a judgment about the risk. A final model comparing the two groups suggests that, in this case, evaluation of personal risk and satisfaction with institutional response are important determinants of individual's risk reactions. Subordinate to these forces are the demographic variables of education, gender, and years of residence in the community. The model also illustrates that aggregate‐level observations may not be representative of subgroups.

Post-modernism offers a revolutionary approach to the study of society: in questioning the validity of modern science and the notion of objective knowledge, this movement discards history, rejects humanism, and resists any truth claims. In this comprehensive assessment of post-modernism, Pauline Rosenau traces its origins in the humanities and describes how its key concepts are today being applied to, and are restructuring, the social sciences. Serving as neither an opponent nor an apologist for the movement, she cuts through post-modernism's often incomprehensible jargon in order to offer all

'This article reviews recent work applying a notion of 'performance' in the study and representation of lives. It tries to clarify some of the issues involved - including the meaning of 'performance' - and 'performative' - the range of possible approaches (e.g., in addition to drama-other arts) and the relationship between 'subjects', 'researcher' and 'audience'. An immediate concern is the nature of the researcher - as having the necessary skills and abilities or knowledge involved in 'performance' (in researching, writing, recording and representing), as engaged (to some extent) in 'artistic' endeavour, and moving between a number of 'roles' and social relations in 'performing' with/ to others (the 'researched' group, audience and society). An important issue for social science in crossing or bridging the social science-arts, in taking up 'performative approaches', is 'What remains distinctive about the social science if it becomes involved with performance approaches?' As a source for comparison (and inspiration), some brief reference will be made to the work of Kandinsky - who moved across disciplinary boundaries and artistic practices - as ethnographer, painter, teacher, designer, theorist and poet. Finally, perhaps, there is a deeper 'turn' indicated by the 'turn to performance' in the study of lives, a more 'complete' portrait of the individual as an active, communicative and sensual being.' (author's abstract)