CONTENTIOUS KNOWLEDGE AND CONTESTED ISSUES

WHAT A RE CONT ROV ERS I ES A ND WHY MAP CONTRO VE RS I E S ?

M D . S A I F U D D I N K H A L I DA D A P T E D S L I D E S O F P R O F. T O R B E N E L G A A R D J E N S E N , A A U

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REMEMBER MARIUS?

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

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REMEMBER DONG?

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

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• VACCINATE OUR CHILDREN?• REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS?• EAT GM CROPS?• HAVE WOLVES IN THE WILD?• RESTRICT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION?• TAX FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS?• ENFORCE GUN CONTROL?• ALLOW CIRCUMCISION?• CLONE HUMANS?• USE MORE TESTS TO TRACK PROGRESS IN SCHOOLS?

SHOULD WE:

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

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• HOW DO WE KNOW IF VACCINES HAVE S IDE EFFECTS?• IS CL IMATE CHANGE REAL?• IN WHAT SENSE COULD GM CROPS BE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS?• FROM WHAT PERSPECTIVE ARE WOLVES IN THE WILD A PROBLEM?• WHAT IS THE AUTHORITATIVE EXPERTISE ON FREEDOM OF

EXPRESSION?• HOW WOULD A TAX ON F INANCIAL TRANSACTIONS WORK IN

PRACTICE?• GUN CONTROL – WHERE IS THAT EVEN A PROBLEM?• IS C IRCUMCISION PAINFUL? DOES IT MATTER?• CAN WE PREDICT THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLONING?• ARE TESTS EFFECTIVE? FOR WHAT?

INVOLVES QUESTIONS LIKE:

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

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CONTROVERSIES ARE EVERYWHERE

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

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CONTROVERSIES ARE COMPLICATED

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

CAN A CONTROVERSY BE SETTLED

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• DISAGREEMENTS ARE MERELY ABOUT DIFFERING OPINIONS• AND WE CANNOT EVEN AGREE ON

THE CORE QUESTIONWHO IT CONCERNSWHICH EXPERTS ARE RELEVANT FOR ANSWERING ITAND THE CONDIT IONS UNDER WHICH THEY CAN BE TRUSTED

• SO A CONTROVERSY MIGHT BE SETTLED, IF ONLY:ALL STAKEHOLDERS ARE SUFFICIENTLY INFORMED AND COME TO COMMON GROUNDS

IN REALITY: THE BAR FIGHT

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IN REALITY: THE BAR FIGHT

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• W E A RE RA RE LY TA LK I NG A B O U T T HE S A ME T HI N G• A N D S O W E CA N NO T RE A C H A G RE E ME NT ON

TH E C O RE QU E S TI O N SW HO T HE Y CO NC E R NW HI CH E X P E RT S CA N A N S W E R T HE MA ND W HE N T HE N T H E Y CA N B E T RU S T E D……

• S O C ON T RO V E R S I E S A R E N O T E A S I LY S E T T LE D• B U T T HE Y A R E S T I L L

UN AV O I DA B LE A ND N E CE S S A RY TO DE A L W I T HFR U IT F U L P L A CE S TO LE A RN S O ME TH I NG A B O U T S CI E N C E , TE CH NO L O G Y A ND S O C IE T Y I N A C T I O N

• S O C A N W E T R E AT T H E M A S A RE S O UR CE ?

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BAR FIGHTS ARE DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE…

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

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CONTROVERSY MAPPING

AALBORG UNIVERSITY

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THE MAPPING CONTROVERSIES NETWORK

• COURSES IN 25+ UNIVERSITIES

• 3 IN COPENHAGEN• A SHARED

CURRICULUM IN DIGITAL METHODS

• A DATABASE WITH THE BEST STUDENT PROJECTS

• AND AN ON-GOING RESEARCH AGENDA

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PHASE 1

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

Understand the basic concepts

Overview of tools and datasets

Choose a good controversy

1st milestone: Research design

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PHASE 2

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

Harvest data Read literature Crunch and visualise data

2nd milestone: We’ve got maps!

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PHASE 3

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

Interpret maps Narrate your data

Explain methods

EXAMPresent and defend controversy mapping

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LET’S EXPLORE SOME BASIC ACTOR-NETWORK POINTS

Mapping Controversies has been called an intuitive way to teach Actor-Network Theory

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1. T HE N O T I O N O F NE T W O R K I S O F US E W HE N E V E R A C T I O N I S TO B E

RE DI S T R I B U T E D ( P. 7 9 7 )

2. . . F RO M A M AT T E R O F FA C T TO A M AT T E R O F C O NC E R N ( P. 7 99 )

3. NE T W O R K S A RE A G RE AT WAY TO G E T R I D O F P H A N TO M S S UC H A S

NAT UR E , S O CI E T Y, O R P O W E R, N O T I O N S T HAT B E F O RE W E R E A B LE TO

E X PA N D M Y S T E R I O U S LY AT N O C O S T ( P. 80 2 )

4. I F Y O U CH A N G E T H I S D ATA S C A P E , Y O U HAV E TO CH A N G E T H E S O C I A L

T HE O RY ( P. 8 02 )

5. I N D I V I D U A L A C T I O N I S M U CH TO O D I S T R I B UT E D TO B E DE F I N E D I N

T E R M S O F I N T E R A C T I O N ( P. 80 6 )

QUOTES FROM ‘NETWORKS, SOCIETIES, SPHERES’ (LATOUR 2011)

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CONTROVERSY AS A METHODOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE

Why Science and Technology Studies have always thrived on controversies

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Controversies as Breeching ExperimentsEthnomethodology (Garfinkel 1962)

Breaking open black boxes to make whatever is assumed (hence ignored) explicit and available to inquiry.

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Through controversies……the social fabric of science and technology is revealed.

SSK (Sociology of Scientific Knowledge)

SCOT (Social Construction of Science and Technology)

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Through controversies……the implications of new science and technology for wider society become impossible to ignore.

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Through controversies……the material agency of non-humans becomes apparent.

Actor-Network Theory (ANT)

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SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK OF CONTROVERSIES

AALBORG UNIVERSITY

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IS THIS A CONTROVERSY? AND HOW HOT IS IT?

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

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• AND IS THERE ALSO D ISAGR EEMEN T ON WH AT WE D ISAGR EE ABOU T?

• IS THE KNOWLEDGE BASE QUESTIONED?

• ARE ALTERNATIVE KN OWLEDGE CLAIMS BE ING MADE?

• IS THE LEGIT IMACY OF EXPERTS BE ING QUEST IONED?

• AND ARE ALTERNATIVE EXPERTS OR ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF EXPERT ISE BE ING MOBIL ISED?

IF YOU ARE A PARTY IN THE CONTROVERSY, WHAT MATTERS IS:

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• H A S T HE K N O W L E D G E B A S E O N W H I C H Y O U B A S E Y O U R P R O J E C T O R Y O U R A G E N D A B E E N Q U E S T I O NE D ?

• H A S T HE L E G I T I MA C Y O F T H E E X P E RT S Y O U A S K F O R A D V I C E B E E N Q U E S T I O NE D ?

• D O Y O U H AV E A S U F F I C I E N T O V E RV I E W O F W H AT C O N S T I T U T E T H E R E L E VA NT Q U E S T I O N S F O R Y O U R U S E R S / S TA K E H O L D E R S / A U D I E NC E ?

• A N D C A N Y O U R E A S O N A B LY E X P E C T T H AT T H E Y W I L L B E C O N V I N CE D B Y T H E C A S E Y O U A RE A D V O C AT I N G A N D T H E A R G UM E N T S Y O U WA N T TO MA K E I N S U P P O RT O F I T ?

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• D O STA K E H O L D E R S A G R E E O N :W H AT T H E I M P O RTA N T Q U E S T I O N S A R E ?W H O C A N A N S W E R T H E S E Q U E S T I O N S ?A N D W H AT C O N S T I T U T E S A S AT I S FA C TO RY A N S W E R ?

• O R D O Y O U H AV E TO FA C I L I TAT E S U C H A N A G R E E M E N T, A N D D O Y O U T H E N H AV E T H E R I G H T D E V I C E S AT Y O U R D I S P O S A L ?

• H O W W O U L D A F O R U M C A PA B L E O F E N C O M PA S S I N G A L L T H E D I F F E R E N T C O N C E R N S H AV E TO B E C O N S T R U C T E D ` ?

IF YOU HAVE A MEDIATING ROLE AND NEED TO REACH A SETTLEMENT OR A COMPROMISE:

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

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• YOUR INTERVENTION ENVIRONMENT IS CHANGING?

• AND ESPECIALLY IF IT IS GETTING HOTTER?

• HOW CAN YOU KEEP AN EYE ON IT?

• WHAT CONSTITUTES EARLY WARNING SIGNALS IN RELATION TO YOUR PROJECT?

• AND WHERE SHOULD/COULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR THEM?

IN ANY CASE YOU WILL PROBABLY WANT TO KNOW IF:

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

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SO WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE NATURE OF THESE MAPS?

AALBORG UNIVERSITY

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MAPPING, CHARTING, AND VISUALIZATION• MAPPING, CHARTING, AND

VISUALIZATION ARE THREE COMPONENTS OF PRODUCTION MAPPING.

• PRODUCTION MAPPING REFERS TO A REPEATABLE AND AUTOMATED PROCESS OF PRODUCING MAPS AND CHARTS OF GIS DATA.

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• WORKFLOWSMAPPING AND CHARTING TOOLS SUPPORT ENTERPRISE CARTOGRAPHIC PRODUCTION WORKFLOWS. THESE WORKFLOWS GENERATE NUMEROUS CARTOGRAPHIC PRODUCTS.

• CONTEXTWHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE MAP? WHAT GEOGRAPHIC AREA WI LL IT COVER? WHAT SCALE, PROJ ECTI ON, AND DATA WILL BE USED?

• CARTOGRAPHIC DATA• SYMBOLOGY• CARTOGRAPHIC EDIT ING• LAYOUT• PUBL ISHING

FROM GIS TO CONTROVERSY MAPPING

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CHARACTERISTICS & ELEMENTS OF GEOGRAPHIC MAPPING

TO

MAPPING CONTROVERSIES

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y

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GROUP FORMATION AND TOPIC SELECTION> ROUND 1@HOME

A A L B O R G U N I V E R S I T Y