The Politics of Uncertainty

Abstract

This collection fills an important gap in our understanding of the role of uncertainty in the science-society nexus. It illustrates the growing awareness that, in this context, uncertainty is essentially a political concern to be addressed by better governance rather than a scientific problem to be solved by improved techniques. Scientific uncertainty will continue to be a challenge for contemporary societies as long as the legitimacy of policy decision-making and action is based on trust in science.Professor Silvio Funtowicz, Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, University of Bergen; formerly EU Joint Research Centre, Ispra What should we do with uncertainty? Not abolish it with facts, this wide-ranging essay collection argues. Introduced by two of our most incisive analysts of alternative social futures, the book delves into today's most significant governance challenges and shows how uncertainty leads us to reimagine the politics of modernity. In these turbulent times, this is a book to read, savor and read again. Professor Sheila Jasanoff, Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies at the Harvard Kennedy School The old world order is fading into history: what a new one will look like is currently uncertain. In fields as diverse as climate change, finance, urban futures, pandemics, mass migration and many more, the future looks less predictable and demands alternative approaches. This well-timed book lays out what they might be.

Practices of Care in Times of COVID-19

“…In this sense, the virus acts as an agent that mobilizes everyday uncertainties by placing subjects before ambiguous scenarios. Uncertainties have become inevitable as they reflect our social political world, privileges, and inequalities as is the case with the ongoing pandemic (Leach and Scoones, 2013;Arora, 2019;Scoones and Stirling 2020). The predominant understanding of these uncertainties has mainly focused on statistical models that are based on macro data from past standardized data (Atig, 2020).…”

“…Uncertainties can be scenarios of danger or opportunity. Despite consensus that different actors experience and perceive uncertainties depending on their social cultural histories, their governance has remained rather technocratic and hierarchical in nature (Scoones and Stirling 2020;Mehta et al, 1999;Mehta et al, 2019). For instance, during the Ebola epidemic, the failure of initial interventions was attributed to disregard of local knowledge and ignorance of local cultural aspects, like funeral rites, and practices for the demised.…”

“…For instance, during the Ebola epidemic, the failure of initial interventions was attributed to disregard of local knowledge and ignorance of local cultural aspects, like funeral rites, and practices for the demised. Not only does that exclude the marginalized populations in local communities, who are disproportionately affected by uncertainties in their everyday lives (Mehta et al, 1999;Scoones 1999;Nori and Scoones, 2019), but it is proven zerosum and even dangerous (Leach et al, 2010;Scoones and Stirling, 2020). Therefore, this health crisis is the ideal scenario for rethinking and listening to other forms of life and to recognize diverse practices of care.…”

“…As a result of living with uncertainties and marginalization from the state, the community has devised ways of self-organizing that are based on social contract (Nori, 2019;Nori and Scoones, 2019). These relational ways are reciprocal and practiced more collectively in times of crises like the ongoing pandemic (Scoones and Stirling 2020). There is a danger of idealizing the capacity of communities to live with and from uncertainty.…”

“…There is a danger of idealizing the capacity of communities to live with and from uncertainty. This can generate further exclusion due to the assumption that communities can solve their own problems, being excluded from public assistance (Mehta et al, 1999, Mehta et al, 2019Leach et al, 2010;Scoones and Stirling, 2020). The contingent practices of care like transcending socially ascribed gender role of food provision or the teaching of fellow community members in a time of crisis demonstrates the communities caring with, about and for each other and illustrates the potential of communal caring practices to maintain and repair our world (Federici, 2010;Harcourt, 2013;Zechner, 2021).…”