On the 'Critical Project' in post-humanism

Lately, I have been thinking a bit about the issue of being 'critical' in academic work or more precisely about the stand of position of the these very classical positions within humanities and social research. What are these researchers hoping to change and how? What is the raison d'^Etre of social sciences? When thinking of personalities such as Habermas, Giddens, Bourdieu etc.The question may seem rather mondane and maybe a bit silly to ask.
I guess when staying in the framework of the traditional Marxist views of in the social sciences the issue around overcoming capitalism, is central. Recently, I found a definition by Habermas stating that rather than having an anti-capitalist approach an letting the defeat of capitalism be the main aim the stand should rather be emancipatory; for Habermas this means that discourses should be emancipated, from colonialisation. So, what when techologies, objects and the claimed move of the sts field of having moved to a post-humanistic stand? Anne Marie Mol writes in a paper somewhere (with John Law) that sts should rather pursue the aim of localising universal scientific facts to the very local field to analyse; a stand that aims at 'wrestling' away the power of science. In many ways I believe that this stand is no longer completely given in the social sciences, which once again emphasises the need to be reflective in methodology-wise. Why are we here and what is this piece of research good for? What impacts are we aiming to create?

The 'Otherness' of Split Peas

It is funny how certain daily items just make you reflect; I recently read this paper by Anne Marie Mol and John Law (of course, I forgot the title and not sure where I saved it..just google her, she's quite interesting). This paper provided further reflections on a another well-known paper from her, which is a description and socio-technical analysis of a bushpump used in Zimbabwe. In short Mol high lights the fluidity of this this bush pump, which is reconfigured and changed along the way to be suitable for the location; it is configured and translated along the way. The paper argues, where the employment for fluidity is a suitable metaphor, other metaphors coexists and form a paradoxal relationship. Once again in short, it is concluded that this pump exists merely because it almost doesnt exist; it's fragile and oscilates between being static and being forgotten, a constant negotiation which ensures its survival. The paper procedes on, cleverly, to analyse a fomula for G -effects used by plane engineers to calculate and reduce discomforting vibrations for pilots; as a great STS example Mol examines the virable G (vibrations felt by the pilot in the plane) and underlines that for the non-engineer this virable exits because of something outside this formula -> A pilot feels vibrations during turbulence which are uncomftable and prevents pilot from concentrating eg. during attack. As viewer we have no idea about this merely by looking at the formula and as such it forms an Otherness; the formula exists in its othernesses, beween misile attacks and the vomiting  pilot; the oscilation between otherness and isolation keeps it alive. And this is where my wife's split peas come it... in front it says 'No need for soaking', I had no idea that once you had to soak these things.. From an analytical point of view this Otherness forms a requirement to become a part of a community of interaction who knows how to cook these and involve things like water, pots, technologies in this network. The isolated 'object' as such becomes a complex social artefact requiring one to aquire new discourses and get involved in new networks. Is it the same for the non-tech user in an eLearning context? What happens when this otherness is Sensed but not understood? Does membership fail and if so how?

GloSciSocTech

This blog is started as an effort to revive my own efforts to actually get writing and maybe help me progress a bit further towards a doctoral proposal. It is not really meant for any other than myself to keep my thoughts at one place, but if other see this, all are welcome to comment add to the debate. Topics will revolve around Science Society and Technology (STS) perspective on primarily into the relationship between learning/teaching people and technology. Themes of globalisation will also be included as well. In true Seth Godin manner these posts will be kept short to increase frequency and as a strategy for myself to over come issues of perfection; these are posts and do not have to be well argued papers. Once I think of an audience, I freeze.. All is a scratch; there is never a final.