Emerging technologies and the interpretative turn in technology assessment

Bogner, Alexander (author), Torgersen, Helge (author)

With emerging technologies, the role of Technology Assessment (TA) has changed profoundly. Transgressing classical ex-post TA, Constructive and Real-Time TA acquired an active role in shaping technology development. The 'deliberative turn' brought the incorporation of a wider set of interests through (project-shaped) participation, together with some problems. Taking the example of synthetic biology, we illustrate the 'interpretative turn' in addressing an emerging technology. Rather than contributing to shaping applications, TA provides the frame of reference for an informed debate, endowing meaning to an abstract technology. However, the task of interpretation often entails prior dramatization to raise sufficient interest among the public.

• Language: English
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2014
• Number of pages: Str. 726-741, 994
• Numbering: Letn. 51, št. 5
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-85336
• UDC: 001.895:659.3
• ISSN on article: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 32972637
• Publication date in RUL: 20.09.2016

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Teorija in praksa : revija za družbena vprašanja
• Shortened title: Teor. praksa
• Publisher: Fakulteta za družbene vede
• ISSN: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 763652

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

Z novimi tehnologijami se je vloga tehnološkega ocenjevanja temeljito spremenila. S prehodom iz svoje klasične eks-post v novo konstruktivno in ex-ante obliko ocenjevanja je tehnološko ocenjevanje prevzelo aktivno vlogo v oblikovanju tehnološkega razvoja. "Deliberativni preobrat" je na temelju (projektno oblikovane) participacije pripomogel k vključitvi širšega spektra interesov. Prinesel pa je tudi nove probleme. V prispevku je ta "interpretativni preobrat" na področju novih tehnologij ponazorjen na temelju sintezne biologije. Tehnološko ocenjevanje ne prispeva toliko k načrtovanju (tehnoloških) aplikacij, temveč predvsem zagotavlja okvir za čim bolje informirane razprave, ki osmišljajo določeno abstraktno tehnologijo. Vsekakor pa je eden izmed ciljev tega osmišljanja oziroma interpretacije predhodna dramatizacija, z namenom, da pride do ustreznega zanimanja javnosti.

• Keywords: tehnološki razvoj