Within STS there are a few 'grand theories' such as ANT and SCOT. STS scholars have also put forward various programmatic statements, such as the Strong Programme and more recently the 'Third Wave' of science studies. In contrast, numerous detailed empirical studies exist which add to our understanding of particular concerns but may not, or are not intended to, generalise beyond their substantive areas of concern. Studies can often appear to trade-off abstraction and generalisation with the demands of remaining faithful to the complexity of their empirical material. While this may or may not be a necessary or desirable feature of STS, it is usually not explicitly discussed as a choice. Our aim is to make this gap, between the empirical richness of individual studies and the development of middle-range theory, the topic of focused and critical workshop discussion.

This workshop seeks four types of contribution in the form of a paper for circulation prior to the meeting.

·         Whether or not we need 'middle-range theory' or other ways of bridging between focused studies and 'grand theories'

·         Contributions which use on-going empirical research to reflect upon these 'middle-range' issues

·         Contributions which focus on the problems of operationalising 'grand' STS theories

·         Contributions which focus on ways of developing the skills of presenting such material.

Wednesday 27 April

13-14

Registration/lunch

14.00-15.30

Introductory Round Table, andSteve Yearley Reflection & explanation in science studies: Finding where the middle range lies

15.30-16.00

Tea

16.00 -17.45

Prospects for Mid-Range Theory

Ragna Zeiss (& Tom Hope) On standardising STS, un-standardising theories & deconstructing STS standards

Brian Rappert On the mid-range: An exercise in disposing (or minding the gaps)

Frank Geels Theories of the middle range in STS: Achievements & steps to be taken

18.00-19.45

Reception for participants

20.00

Dinner for participants

Thursday 28 April

9.15-11

Empirical Work and Mid-Range Theory

Norma Morris & Brian Balmer A Woman walks into a laboratory and is asked to take part in an experiment. Now theorise that.

Jessica Mesman Exnovating styles of ordering & their embedded normativity

Olivier Coutard (& Simon Guy) STS & the city: Ambivalence, Resistance, Contingency & Hope.

11-11.30

Coffee

11.30-12.45

Against the Middle Range

Arie Rip Haven’t we got all the theory we need?

Steve Woolgar The ethics of scale – Oh please, not middle range theories again!

12.45-14 Lunch (and short walk)

14-16Ethnography & the Mid-Range

Anne Beaulieu et al Not another case study? Ethnography, formalisation & the scope of science

Elena Simakova ‘Softly, softly’ tagging the world: The accomplishment of RFID as a tellable story

Christine Hine Multi-sited ethnography as middle range methodology for STS

16-16.30

Tea & re-arranging chairs

16.30-18

Open Plenary – Steve Rayner The Excluded Middle? Reflections on micro-, meso- and macro- in the social science of global change

18-19

Reception for all attending plenary

20.00

Dinner for participants

Friday 29 April

9.15-11

Politics & the Middle Range

Rob Hagendijk Theorising public engagement with science & technology

Alice Farrands Bioethics & policy for stem cell research: Do we need a mid-range theory?

Anne-Jorunn Berg Hard categories & hard work: racialisation & feminist memory work

11-11.30

Coffee

11.30-12.45

From the Middle to the End

Nik Brown Home on the mid-range

Harry Collins The Green-ink letters: Methodological relativism & the choice about how much of the world to treat as relative & how much as real

12.45-14

Lunch

14-15

Conclusion

We are very grateful to the following for their support for this workshop:

Science in Society Programme of the ESRC www.sci-soc.net/SciSoc/

Amsterdam School of Communications Research, ASCoR, UvA www.fmg.uva.nl/ascor

European Association for the Study of Science and Technology, EASST www.easst.net

Department of Science & Technology Studies, UCL www.ucl.ac.uk/sts