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Method, Performativity and Politics

This study explores the performativity of knowledge practices and its implications in politics, highlighting the challenges and costs of enacting new realities.

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Method, Performativity and Politics

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  1. Centre for Science StudiesLancaster University Method, Performativityand Politics John Law, Science Studies, Lancaster All work is collaborative, so thanks to: Adrian Evans, Mara Miele (Cardiff) Endre Danyi, Vicky Singleton (Lancaster) Nick Bingham, Steve Hinchliffe (Open University) Kristin Asdal, Marianne Lien, Ingunn Moser (Oslo) Emma Roe (Southampton) Annemarie Mol (Twente)

  2. Introduction: two views of knowledge • Discovery? or • Performativity! • Not idealist • Not (social constructivist)

  3. How do Knowledge Practices Work? • Standard view: knowledge • Corresponds to reality • Tool for handling reality (pragmatism) • Non-standard view: performativity: Knowledge practices generate/enact • Workable knowledge and • Realities to match

  4. Real and Unreal Napoleons • How? • Making solid realitiesis: • Difficult! • Has to be done inmanylocations/practices http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Napoleon_Bonaparte.jpg

  5. Summary:knowledge practices: • Enact truth claims • Enact realities • Do this with difficulty • Within a hinterland of other practices

  6. Notes on the hinterland: How much does it cost to undo realities? • Unsubstantiated hypotheses? • Published papers? • Embedded experimental techniques?

  7. The Consequences of Performativity 1 ‘We say that the laws of Newton may be found in Gabon and that this is quite remarkable since that is a long way from England. But I have seen Lepetit camemberts in the supermarkets of California. This is also quite remarkable, since Lisieux is a long way from Los Angeles. Either there are two miracles that have to be admired together in the same way, or there are none.’ (Bruno Latour, Irreductions, 227)

  8. The Consequences of Performativity 2 • Science and its truths only exist within networks of practice.Truth not universal. • We can try to enact better versions of the real‘Ontological politics’

  9. The Consequences of Performativity 3:Biology is not Destiny • Sex ≠ gender • There are multiple biologies (multiple sexes) • Which are to be preferred? A politics of the real (an ontological politics)

  10. So What do Surveys Do? An archaeology of the Eurobarometer http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Home/History/Archaeology/Techniques/Techniques-21.html

  11. Layer 1: the European Consumer • Attitudes • Opposed to Realities? • Or just very specific?(Real but only in thecontext of attitudesurveys?) ?

  12. Layer 2: Politics in Europe • Farm Animal welfare • Creating ‘European Political Project’ http://www.animalactivism.org/documents/photos/med_19672_battery-cages4.jpg

  13. Layer 3: Subjectivity and the Location of Politics ‘The labelling of products would certainly help the consumer to opt for a greater selectivity of purchases in favour of animal welfare products.’ .’ (EB 2007, 49) Consumers = • Individual decision-makers • Rational • Ethical • Under-informed Politics to be done in supermarkets at point of purchase?

  14. Layer 4: Europe:a Container filled with Individuals • set of individuals, • measurable attributes, • aggregated • isomorphous • homogeneous European collective space • Representational assumptions on sample-population relations

  15. Layer 5: Collectivity:a Statistical Collection (Romanticism) • Versions of Collectivity • Romantic collective = emergent homogeneous whole containing parts known: (a) abstractly (b) explicitly, and (c) centrally • Baroque collective = inside, non-coherent, heterogeneous assemblage known:(a) sensuously/specifically, (b) implicitly, and (c) resistant to overview

  16. Layer 6: the Citizen-Consumer ‘To make … choices [about purchasing animal products] it is crucial that the public has information that enables them to determine the welfare conditions that lie behind the products they see on shelves.’ (EB 2007, 49) • Consumers may request information but ... • Citizens (and therefore polities) can demand it. • ‘Ontological politics’: enacting better versions of the real

  17. Layers in Eurobarometer? • European Consumer • European Politics • Subjectivities and the Location of Politics • Europe: a container of individuals • Collectivity as emergent statistical collection (romanticism) • Citizen-consumer

  18. Performativity: the implications • Endless • Enacted realities are non-coherent (practices are ramshackle) • Reality is not destiny: it is multiple • When we describe we are also creating: what do we think of the ontological politics of our reality-making machines? • Enacting new realities is costly

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