"Engaging Contexts: Research and Redesign in the Multiscale Worlds of "Communiversity" and "Consent-Baded Siting"

It is broadly accepted in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) that rigorous research on multiple scales of context - historical, political, epistemic, social, etc. - is a prerequisite for effective engagement with complex challenges, In STS, contexts are framed as contingent, dynamic, and often in dire need of redesign. This talk analyzes community-engaged research and redesign projects in two very different scale-crossing contexts: 1) the contemporary university aiming to reclaim relevance by improving local and regional relationships and 2) federal attempts to engage with communities around nuclear waste. Both projects aim to show that, at its best, community-engaged STS scholars researching and redesigning contexts can draw what's necessary and what's possible a little closer together.

January 17th

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Sage 5711