Undone Science and Social MovementS

Abstract

The origin and development of the concept of undone science and its connections is reviewed, including connections with science and technology studies (STS) and social movement studies. Rooted partially in an STS perspective on the construction of knowledge, the study of undone science shifts attention to the level of the research field and its relationships with other social fields and broader societal conflicts. One research area where these relationships become visible is the study of social movements that seek industrial change (often along with broader societal change). The nexus of STS and social movement studies refocuses the question of publics in STS from the individual layperson to mobilized publics, and likewise it shifts the analysis of industrial change in social movement studies toward knowledge conflicts and the politics of design. A discussion follows of new questions that emerge about social movements, knowledge, technology, and outcomes. The chapter ends with a review of some emerging developments among researchers who have provided contributions to the analysis of undone science and related problems in the study of ignorance, power, and inequality.