Responsibilization through visions

Abstract

Vision Assessments in technology assessment (TA) focus on how constructed futures (such as visions, scenarios and roadmaps) influence processes of innovation. To extend this perspective, we want to focus on the following question: What responsibilities do the practices of using such futures produce? Therefore, we offer a concept which analyzes visions as socio-epistemic practices in present re-arrangements of sociotechnical constellations which shape larger processes of innovation. Such visionary practices enable and produce particular responsibilizations between actors. Through three examples – visions as socio-epistemic practices in experiments with smart grids, in the global movement of FabLabs, and in discourses on Big Data – we distinguish three modes of responsibilization: re-forming responsibilities, inventing responsibilities and creating irresponsibility. Although not providing ethical criteria to assess whether an innovation process is ‘responsible’, our approach enables basic knowledge for research and practices of responsible innovation through contributing to an understanding of how responsibilities are produced and distributed in practice.