Science Studies Conference

I don’t know anything at all about science studies (there was a war there right, or is a war, or something?) but the following conference looks like it might be interesting to those, er, interested in the field.

bq.. *Science for Sale?*: The Public Communication of Science in a Corporate World
Call for Papers

15-17 April 2005

Organized by the Department of Science & Technology Studies and the Department of Communication, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

bq.. “Science for Sale?” is an interdisciplinary weekend conference for exploring the mediation of science in a corporate environment. As public presentations of science merge with marketing and as corporate research organizations do more of the work that university researchers conduct, these kinds of observations raise timely questions about the public understanding of science with respect to authorship, ownership, and relationships of practice in science and media.

bq.. The intersection of science and the corporate world presents a rich site for analyses of public communication and understanding of science, medicine and technology. We define public communication broadly for this event to allow critical inquiry into the roles of academic journals, news journalism, museums, speeches, entertainment media, doctor-patient relations, film, advertising, art, literature, the internet, and radio.

We cordially invite you to participate in this event and reflect on the theme of science, communication, and the corporate world. The conference format will include pre-circulated papers, moderated presentations, and panel discussions with scholars and practitioners from relevant fields. We welcome abstract submissions on, but not limited to, the following topics:

—The corporation, media, and public understanding of science
— Media ownership, journalistic practices, and public images of science in news, culture, and popular entertainment
—The changing images of universities: research institutions or research corporations?
—Responsibility and accountability within a corporate environment: issues for open source, research ethics, and education
—Multinational entities and communicating science in less developed countries
—The branding and advertising of science
—Corporate control of information and communication technologies

Abstracts of no more than 250 words and a CV should be submitted at “our web site”:http://www.sts.cornell.edu/conferences/stscomm/index.php, e-mailed or faxed to the abstract coordinator by December 20, 2004 (see below). Full papers for pre-circulation will be due March 10, 2005, and we hope to post conference papers online. Abstracts from scholars at all stages of their careers are encouraged. We are working to procure limited funding for travel, so please stay tuned to our web site for up-to-date registration details and news about our speakers.

Abstract Coordinator:
Lisa Onaga, Lao9@cornell.edu
Fax: +1-607-255-6044
“http://www.sts.cornell.edu/conferences/stscomm/index.php”:http://www.sts.cornell.edu/conferences/stscomm/index.php