“Opening Up” and “Closing Down”

TLDR

Discursive deference in science and technology governance is shifting from expert analysis toward participatory deliberation, moving away from linear scientistic conceptions toward plural, socially situated understandings, yet deterministic notions of technological progress still counter growing recognition of social agency. The article seeks to address the growing disjuncture between participatory deliberation and deterministic technological progress. The authors distinguish between appraisal and commitment in technology choice, highlighting how normative, instrumental, and substantive imperatives differently influence appraisal. The study finds that power underlies both appraisal and participation, each equally susceptible to instrumental framing, and concludes that greater appreciation of analytic and participatory appraisal is needed to open up governance commitments rather than close them down.

Abstract

Discursive deference in the governance of science and technology is rebalancing from expert analysis toward participatory deliberation. Linear, scientistic conceptions of innovation are giving ground to more plural, socially situated understandings. Yet, growing recognition of social agency in technology choice is countered by persistently deterministic notions of technological progress. This article addresses this increasingly stark disjuncture. Distinguishing between “appraisal” and “commitment” in technology choice, it highlights contrasting implications of normative, instrumental, and substantive imperatives in appraisal. Focusing on the role of power, it identifies key commonalities transcending the analysis/participation dichotomy. Each is equally susceptible to instrumental framing for variously weak and strong forms of justification. To address the disjuncture, it is concluded that greater appreciation is required—in both analytic and participatory appraisal—to facilitating the opening up (rather than the closing down) of governance commitments on science and technology.