Positioning the Field: STS Futures (INTRODUCTION)

Steven Epstein, Guest Editor

doi:10.17351/ests2016.103

Steven Epstein, Guest Editor Northwestern University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17351/ests2016.103

Abstract

The thematic collection entitled “Positioning the Field: STS Futures” consists of seven short articles that had their origins in a conference organized by the Science, Knowledge, and Technology Section of the American Sociological Association. These position papers blend autobiography, history, and STS analysis to advocate for specific future directions in STS scholarship.

Author Biography

Steven Epstein, Guest Editor, Northwestern University

Steven Epstein is Professor of Sociology and John C. Shaffer Professor in the Humanities at Northwestern University. He serves on the editorial boards of several STS journals, including ESTS, Social Studies of Science, Science, Technology & Human Values, EASTS, and Public Understanding of Science. He is also a past chair of the Science, Knowledge, and Technology Section of the American Sociological Association. At Northwestern, Epstein has directed the Science in Human Culture Program and has co-directed the Sexualities Project at Northwestern (SPAN). Epstein’s work considers the contested production of expert and especially biomedical knowledge, with an emphasis on the interplay of social movements, experts, and health institutions, and with a focus on the politics of sexuality, gender, and race.