Technological Globalization From Below Interdisciplinary STS Seminar 2021-2022

New technologies are entering daily lives and reshaping societies across the globe at an ever-increasing pace. While technological change has been largely analysed as stemming from Northern countries that industrialized first since the 18th and 19th century, this picture is not satisfying to explore the drivers and consequences of technological change in the context of the growing contribution of developing and emerging countries to the global economy. Surely, technologies originating from the global North are having a huge impact on societies in the global South, but analyses of technological change need to integrate other kinds of circulations (South-South and South-North, schematically), to develop a better understanding of the global world’s technological becoming. In order to understand the magnitude of this shift, we engage in a research programme that applies the framework of “globalization from below” to global markets of technology (Tarrius 2002; Mathews et al 2012; Choplin & Pliez 2018). The fundamental assumption guiding this research is that the development of technologies will take a path that is specific to societies from the Global South. The seminar’s sessions will document the social issues pertaining to technological expansion in developing and emerging contexts, based upon empirical research. By doing this, they will highlight the scientific and technological dynamism of the Global South countries, as well as the often devastating consequences of technological development for subalternized populations. Second, they will characterize technological globalization “from below”, through the formulation of analytical tools; they will therefore enrich the conception of technical expansion from an original standpoint, paying particular attention to processes of technological expansion in relation to developing contexts, where labour informality and resource-scarce innovation are major concerns. The seminar is interdisciplinary with a major “Science & Technology Studies” focus.

The seminar is in English and online. It is hosted by the CEPED (University of Paris/IRD) as part of the Global Research Institute of Paris (GRIP) activity.

Organizing committee: Javed Mohammad ALAM, Mariana GAMEIRO, Mahamat Nour Moussa ILYASS, Koichi KAMEDA, Cecilia PASSANTI, Jessica POURRAZ, Mathieu QUET, Yves-Marie RAULT-CHODANKAR, Thibaut SERVIANT-FINE and Aamod UTPAL

When?

The seminars will take place between 10AM and 12AM

How to join?

TO receive the link to join the seminar, please, contact: mathieu.quet@gmail.com

27th October 2021

Title: Markets for pesticides

Speaker: Nathalie Jas (INRAE, IRISSO)

24th November 2021

Title: Markets for traditional medicine

Speaker: Laurent Pordié (CNRS, Cermès3)

15th December 2021

Title: Markets for digital money

Speaker: Kevin P. Donovan (Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh)

26th January 2022

Title: Markets for pharmaceuticals

Speaker: Anne Pollock (Global Health & Social Medicine, King’s College)

23th February 2022

Title: Markets for food

Speaker: Markets for food – Rajeswari Raina (International Relations and Governance Studies, Shiv Nadar University)

30th March 2022

Title: Markets for cultural goods

Speaker: Christine Ithurbide (CNRS, Passages)

27th April 2022

Title: Markets for minerals

Speaker: James H. Smith (Anthropology Dept, UC Davis)

25th May 2022

Title: Markets for surgery

Speaker: Logan D.A. Williams (Inclusive Research by Design)

29th June 2022

Title: Markets for seeds

Speaker: Gabriela Soto Laveaga (History of science Dept, Harvard University)