Scientific Activism - A Challenge for STS Researchers

• In Event: Science and Activism: STS and the Environment

Abstract

Activism by scientists themselves can take many forms. It has been particularly visible in controversies having to do with potentially adversary social consequences – such as the early experiments with recombinant DNA or GMOs, or the claims in the IQ and sociobiology debates in the United States. Here one could typically see two activist camps pitted against each other, arguing their differences in both the academic and public realms, both sides presenting themselves as acting for the benefit of society and speaking for “good science”. Later in the Science Wars a group of pro-science activists defended science against the criticisms of humanists and social scientists. These science warriors saw themselves as leftists. The STS researcher is on contentious territory, indeed, in regard to the actual political intent of the actors, and may be seen as an enemy by everybody. Yet, in order to identify the actual core of a conflict, understanding the underlying issues on both sides is crucial. For instance, scientific facts play a central role in the fight for social justice – as pointed out by the pro-science warriors. At the same time it seems that the very existence of scientific activism and well-publicized controversies with strong moral/political aspects can help change social norms and motivate needed social reform. An example is the explicit concern about ethical issues in regard to the Human Genome Project, which I see as a directly influenced by the earlier serious debate about sociobiology.

Author

• Ullica Christina Segerstrale, Illinois Institute Of Technology