The Theory and Practice of Risk Society

Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland

General Description

In the age of biotechnological development and global warming, technoscientific risks have become more serious than ever. New pharmaceuticals, energy technologies and super-industrial food networks permeate daily life, and we too often perceive these innovations as unproblematic benefits while neglecting their risks. This elective addresses the notion of the ‘risk society’ across different areas of practice, combining theoretical, philosophical and empirical approaches, focusing on (1) broader perspectives on technoscientific risk – modernity, capitalism, gender – and (2) specific examples of technoscientific innovation that provoke social controversies in medicine, ecology and food networks.

Course Structure

The elective comprises one obligatory course and a choice of optional courses, all taught in the summer semester. The obligatory course, ‘Technoscience in Risk Society’ (4 ECTS), introduces the dynamics of technoscientific controversies, the political role of experts and laboratories, and Actor-Network Theory. Optional courses include ‘Gender Problem in Science: Theories and Practice’ and ‘Food Studies’ (each 4 ECTS), examining the gender structure of scientific institutions and the socio-cultural dimensions of food production and consumption respectively. After completing the courses, students are assigned a supervisor and develop a thesis from a topic raised in the introductory courses.