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Call for Papers: Association of American Geographers Annual Conference
Chicago, USA, March 7th - 11th 2006
UNDERSTANDING NETWORKS AT THE SCIENCE-POLICY INTERFACE
Convenors: Jason Chilvers and James Evans (University of Birmingham, UK)
The link between science and policy has traditionally been a dominant
feature of the environmental sphere, and continues be a critical area of
inquiry, from local initiatives to conserve biodiversity, through to
international programmes to tackle climate change. This science-policy
interface is increasingly complex under conditions of globalisation,
radical uncertainty, contestation and distrust of science in late modern
society. Meanings of science, expertise and knowledge become extended
and plural, and new environmental policy contexts emerge including those
associated with notions of governance, deliberation and inclusion.
Against this backdrop, this session addresses the pressing need to
better understand networks of environmental knowledge and expertise at
the science-policy interface, in terms of theory, method and detailed
empirical insight. We welcome all papers that meet this focus, including
those that shed light on: network dynamics within and between experts
and policy-makers; relationships between knowledge networks and policy
processes/outcomes; processes of social learning, reflexivity,
interdisciplinary and accountability. The emphasis ranges from 'normal'
to 'post-normal' scientific policy spaces, at local to international
scales.
Topics of interest include:
* Conceptualising knowledge networks in environmental governance
* Relevant network theory/methodology (including actor-network
theory, policy networks, epistemic
communities, communities of practice, social network analysis,
etc.)
* Integration and use of mixed network theories/methodologies
* Methods for studying networks at the science-policy interface
* Who populates the science-policy interface? (e.g.
human/non-human actors; natural/social/citizen
scientists; technical/process/lay experts; policy-makers)
* The differing contexts where science and policy interact (e.g.
environment and related policy areas
such as risk, health, science and technology; normal vs
post-normal science; local, national,
international scales)
* Science-policy relations, linkages and translations
* Knowledge networks in deliberative and inclusive forms of
governance
* Relations between knowledge networks and policy
processes/outcomes
* Translation, circulation, communication of environmental
knowledges
* Processes of social learning, reflexivity and accountability
* Interdisciplinary at the science-policy interface
* The policy relevance/influence of environmental (social) science
Please send all abstracts (no more than 250 words) to Jason Chilvers
([log in to unmask]) or James Evans ([log in to unmask]) by the
31st September 2005. Any informal inquiries are welcome and we would
encourage both experienced and young researchers. Details on location,
registration costs and paper time allocations can be found at
www.aag.org.
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