Complexities: Social Studies of Knowledge Practices (Science and Cultural Theory) - Softcover

Law, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0822328461 ISBN 13: 9780822328469

Publisher: Duke University Press, 2002

Synopsis

Although much recent social science and humanities work has been a revolt against simplification, this volume explores the contrast between simplicity and complexity to reveal that this dichotomy, itself, is too simplistic. John Law and Annemarie Mol have gathered a distinguished panel of contributors to offer—particularly within the field of science studies—approaches to a theory of complexity, and at the same time a theoretical introduction to the topic. Indeed, they examine not only ways of relating to complexity but complexity in practice.
Individual essays study complexity from a variety of perspectives, addressing market behavior, medical interventions, aeronautical design, the governing of supranational states, ecology, roadbuilding, meteorology, the science of complexity itself, and the psychology of childhood trauma. Other topics include complex wholes (holism) in the sciences, moral complexity in seemingly amoral endeavors, and issues relating to the protection of African elephants. With a focus on such concepts as multiplicity, partial connections, and ebbs and flows, the collection includes narratives from Kenya, Great Britain, Papua New Guinea, the Netherlands, France, and the meetings of the European Commission, written by anthropologists, economists, philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and scholars of science, technology, and society.

Contributors. Andrew Barry, Steven D. Brown, Michel Callon, Chunglin Kwa, John Law, Nick Lee, Annemarie Mol, Marilyn Strathern, Laurent Thévenot, Charis Thompson

About this title

About the Author

John Law is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Centre for Science Studies at Lancaster University in England.

Annemarie Mol is Professor of Political Philosophy at Twente University in the Netherlands.

From the Back Cover

"Extremely timely, important, and well-defined, this book is precisely on target in focusing on heterogeneous studies that treat knowledge as local. The types of science and technology discussed are diverse and well-balanced."--David Stump, coeditor of "The Disunity of Science: Boundaries, Contests, and Power"

Edition details

• Publisher: Duke University Press
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0822328461
• ISBN 13: 9780822328469
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 302