Alternative pathways in science and industry : activism, innovation, and the environment in an era of globalization / / David J. Hess

• Autore: Hess David J
• Pubblicazione: Cambridge, Mass., : MIT Press, c2007
• Edizione: 1st ed.
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (345 p.)
• Disciplina: 303.48/3
• Soggetto topico: Science - Social aspects; Technology - Social aspects; Science and industry
• Note generali: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references (p. [285]-327) and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Introduction -- Retheorizing scientific change -- Science in an era of globalization -- The transformation of technological fields -- Industrial opposition movements -- Technology- and product-oriented movements -- The localization of activism and innovation -- Conclusion.
• Sommario/riassunto: In Alternative Pathways in Science and Industry, David Hess examines how social movements and other forms of activism affect innovation in science, technology, and industry. Synthesizing and extending work in social studies of science and technology, social movements, and globalization, Hess explores the interaction of grassroots environmental action and mainstream industry and offers a conceptual framework for understanding it. Hess proposes a theory of scientific and technological change that considers the roles that both industry and grassroots consumers play in setting the research agenda in science and technology, and he identifies "alternative pathways" by which social movements can influence scientific and technological innovation. He analyzes four of these pathways: industrial opposition movements, organized against targeted technologies (as in the campaign against nuclear energy); technology- and product-oriented movements, which press for alternatives (as does the organic food movement); localism, which promotes local ownership (as in "buy-local" campaigns); and access pathways, which support a more equitable distribution of resources. Within each pathway, Hess examines reforms in five different areas: agriculture, energy, waste and manufacturing, infrastructure, and finance. The book's theoretical argument and empirical evidence demonstrate the complex pattern of incorporation (of grassroots innovations) and transformation (of alternative ownership structures and the alternative products themselves) that has characterized the relationship of industry and activism. Hess's analysis of alternative pathways to change suggests ways economic organizations could shift to a more just and sustainable course in the twenty-first century.
• Titolo autorizzato: Alternative pathways in science and industry
• ISBN: 1-282-09843-8; 9786612098437; 0-262-27532-5; 1-4294-6562-X
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Record Nr.: 9910818256503321
• Lo trovi qui: Univ. Federico II
• Serie: Urban and industrial environments.