Science and Technology Studies is a working group established by the IFZ researchers Anita Thaler, Magdalena Wicher, Thomas Berger and colleagues from various disciplines and organisations, Julian Anslinger, Birgit Hofstätter, Jenny Schlager (former Käfer), Susanne Kink, Lisa Scheer and Daniela Zanini-Freitag.
The working group is interested in queer perspectives in and on science and technology studies which challenge heteronormative and hegemonic points of view in these fields of research.
In our discussions and research we consider different angles, for instance:
- If a ‘queer’ point of view stands for opposing the hegemonic views – how useful, then, is the concept of ‘queerness’ for science and technology studies?
- How do hegemonic views become established? What structural role does heteronormativity play in STS?
- Who are ‘the others’ in discourses about ‘average users’ of technology?
- How much deviation from the norm is implied or tolerated when standard procedures in science and technology are defined?
- What are methodological consequences when critique on heteronormativity in research is taken into account?
- How does a queer perspective influence the role of the researcher?