(Resending now that I have actually subscribed to the mailing list.)
From: Stares, Sally
Sent: 26 March 2018 13:48
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>; [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [UTSG] Calling social scientists interested in self-driving cars
Dear Tom,
This may be a message heading straight for your 'deleted messages' box, since I failed to note your 9am deadline for today - many apologies for that.
But on the off-chance that you'll consider it, below is my position statement on AVs. I'm a social psychologist, and I work with Chris Tennant and Martin Bauer from the LSE (Chris forwarded your announcement to us as he isn't free on 30th April.) You may in any case not want to invite me to the event, as we are very much part of the same team, so might be duplicating ideas somewhat. Anyway, for what it's worth, I thought it not a waste of time to write my own notes to you, below.
Thanks and best wishes,
Sally
Self-driving vehicles have the potential (and are likely) to bring dramatic changes to the nature of driving, the roads, transport systems and the industries and organisations that support them. The public is currently placed in a passive role in this trajectory of change, conceived of by government and industry actors as consumers to be persuaded and educated about the technology. It has been argued that the public cannot be asked meaningfully about their attitudes to a phenomenon that they do not understand, or that does not yet exist in its final form. Here an opportunity is missed to engage the public in the development of the technology (and the context in which it is to operate), and the often-seen cycle of 'deficit model' thinking, much berated in Public Understanding of Science literature, is repeated again. We should be asking not so much what the public think about self-driving vehicles, but how they think about this phenomenon. We should be explicitly including the public in discussions about the ethical and normative dilemmas implied by it. Such research is a matter of the social responsibility and the public good, and not just a support service for developers of self-driving vehicles.
Dr Sally Stares
Lecturer in Sociology (Quantitative Methods): City Q-Step Centre
Programme Director: MSc in Research Methods
Department of Sociology
City, University of London
Northampton Square
London EC1V 0HB
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
+44 (0)20 7040 4525
Room D607, Rhind Building
________________________________
From: Universities Transport Study Group <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> on behalf of Cohen, Tom <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Sent: 13 March 2018 22:14
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [UTSG] Calling social scientists interested in self-driving cars
Dear colleagues
On 30th April, UCL and the Transport Systems Catapult will be holding an event in London entitled "Self-driving cars - developing the social-science research agenda".
We hope to have a broad range of social-science disciplines represented at this highly participatory event. Also present will be policy makers and research funders. Please see the foot of this e-mail for further details.
The capacity of the venue is limited and we want to achieve a balance of disciplines so we are carrying out a "light-touch" screening process, as follows.
If you are keen to attend, please reply to this e-mail by 9am (UK time) on Monday 26th March, with the following information:
Your social-science discipline (as you choose to define it!)
A position statement on self-driving vehicles of between 100 and 200 words
We aim to respond to all by Thursday 29th March.
Thanks in advance for your interest.
Tom
Tom Cohen PhD Senior Fellow (Research and Teaching)
Centre for Transport Studies
University College London
Chadwick Building
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT
020 7679 2276 (internal: 32276)
07504 402113
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http://www.cege.ucl.ac.uk/cts
Pages - Centre for Transport Studies <http://www.cege.ucl.ac.uk/cts>
www.cege.ucl.ac.uk<http://www.cege.ucl.ac.uk>
The Centre for Transport Studies (CTS) at UCL in London.
Self-driving cars - developing the social-science research agenda
Workshop, UCL, central London, 30th April 2018
Provisional timings: 10:30 to 17:00 including lunch and followed by drinks
This workshop is motivated by the fact that social science has up to now been under-represented in the literature on self-driving cars, automated vehicles, etc (Cavoli et al., 2017). This despite the certainty that widespread adoption of this technology would have profound societal implications. The workshop is intended to support the growth in policy-relevant research by social scientists on the topic by helping to articulate and seek agreement on the most pressing research questions.
Reference
Cavoli, C. et al. (2017) Social and behavioural questions associated with Automated Vehicles. A Literature Review. London: Department for Transport. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/578943/social-and-behavioural-questions-associated-with-automated-vehicles-literature-review.pdf
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