070247 SE Research Seminar - Participation - Science and Society (2024S)

Participation has become a key concept in Western democracies over the past few decades. This research seminar explores how, why and in which areas of society the concept and practice of participation has become relevant. We will focus in particular on the role of science. On the one hand, the demand for "more participation" has been directed at the sciences as such (citizen science, diversity); on the other hand, scientists have been involved in making various areas of society and politics more "participatory". They include: politics and democracy, cities and infrastructures, arts and culture, labor and the body, the Anthropocene and climate change. Each seminar session, which the students will help to prepare, will be dedicated to one of these topics. One session will be held as an excursion.
The seminar combines current perspectives and approaches from the history of science and science and technology studies. The seminar provides students with an overview of the history and contemporary practices of participation and it introduces them to important conceptual tools for analyzing the topic. Students will focus on one topic in depth and develop a research paper. They learn to develop their own research perspective, to collect and gather literature and research materials, and to design and implement a research paper. Students also present and discuss the topic in the seminar. They will receive feedback from the lecturers and students.