THREE TEMATIC THEMES
   • 1. The Climate Society: Knowledge, Politics and 
    Practices of Transformation
   • 2. The Good Economy: Values and Controversies 
    in politics of the environment, politics of care and 
    the life sciences
   • 3. Social Media, Digital STS, Market Research and 
    The Public 
   1. THE CLIMATE SOCIETY: KNOWLEDGE, POLITICS AND PRACTICES 
               OF TRANSFORMATION
   • The public debate about the climate issue has changed character: The discussion 
    now is not so much about if there is a human made climate problem. The 
    discussion is more about how to enable the transformation to a climate friendly 
    society. Science, the social sciences included, is expected to play a key role in this 
    transformation process.  In order to manage this transformation well, it is crucial 
    that we understand the role of science and technology in society. But what kind of 
    role does knowledge play? How does science take part in politics and bureaucratic 
    practices? What happens when science become part of political practices? How is 
    knowledge taken into account? What happens when different versions of expertise 
    and knowledge encounter one another? What are the relations between science 
    and the technologies and practices of politics and administration? 
   • Empirically this thematic theme will explore efforts at enabling a climate friendly 
    society at key sites in society. Theoretically It will use the climate issue as a key 
    case for exploring the role of science and technology in society.   
                   2. THE GOOD ECONOMY: 
        VALUES AND CONTROVERSIES IN THE BIOECONOMY, 
          POLITICS OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND MEDICINE
    •
     The European economy is undergoing an i important experiment: A series of strategies, plans, and efforts 
     are being put forward in order to realize  a Bioeconomy; this is an economy that seeks to produce value 
     from life and the living in new and innovative ways. The Bioeconomy is closely integrated with the vision 
     that this economy also will have other virtues: That it will solve environmental problems, produce 
     welfare, be responsible, and take care so that the European economy acts within limits. This integrated 
     complex is what this thematic theme names “the good economy”. 
    •
     This thematic theme will explore key aspects of the bioeconomy and its problems and challenges.  But 
     the notion “the good economy” will also be employed as an analytical resource more broadly: How to 
     realize an economy that does not only produce economic growth but which is environmental friendly, 
     provides care and good health, for humans as well as non-humans? How to realize such an integrated 
     complex, a “good” economy”  – in practice? What are the relations between the economy, politics of 
     health and care, and the life sciences? What are the tools, devices or technologies of politics that are 
     involved and take part in such efforts? 
    •
     The notion “the good economy” does not imply that the economy is good. It points to that values and 
     practices of valuations must be included in studies of the economy. The aim is to explore how different 
     visions and versions of “the good” interact, produce tensions and sometimes conflicts. Empirically the 
     theme will address key sites and issues relevant to the good economy, for instance  animal welfare, the 
     aquaculture industry, elderly and end of life care - in everyday practices, policy visions and innovation 
     strategies. Theoretically it will address key theoretical resources in STS such as care studies, valuation 
     studies, and studies of the bioeconomy.    
                       SOCIAL MEDIA, DIGITAL STS, MARKET 
                                 RESEARCH AND THE PUBLIC 
          •  New social media and «the digital» have become core to everyday 
             interactions, for the shaping of individual identities and for the making of 
             new forms of the social and the public. But they are also increasingly 
             becoming core sites for tracking behavior, for gathering data and for the 
             making of markets. 
          •  Which versions of the ‘the social’ and ‘the public’ are enacted by way of 
             new social media and ‘the digital’? How can we understand new social 
             media compared to other versions of publics and the social? How do 
             publics and public opinion take part in shaping social and political issues? 
             How are participation co-produced with market devices, objects and 
             technological devices? 
          •  Science and Technology Studies (STS) has always been concerned with how 
             science and technology take part in producing the social.  The objective of 
             this theme is to explore this topic further in relation to the digital and new 
             social media. This theme will also explore how technologies take part in 
             producing both issues and new publics. STS research will be drawn 
             together with media studies and market research.    
            TIK PROJECTS 
    TO WHICH THE THEMES ARE ATTACHED
   • IPCC Assessment Reports 5 in Europe, with Cicero, 
    Center for International Climate and 
    Environmental Research
   • The Good Economy: Biocapitalization and the little 
    tools of valuation
   • The Aquagenome project 
    http://www.aquagenome.uio.no/
   • When authorities meet, with (among others) John 
    Law and Ingunn Moser
   • Care at a distance, with Diakonhjemmet
   • The Oslo-Berkeley initiative on valuation studies.