Intervention and public participation in science and technology: the case of nanotechnologies

Abstract

This article explores the enactment of ethical and social concerns regarding nanotecnologies. Informed by the assumption that participatory devices are performative, a research team in Coimbra, Portugal, recognized the political dimension of social sciences and reconfigured the mainstream focus groups through the incorporation of two methodological innovations: the Theatre of the Oppressed and the Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The participants, instead of being limited to the elicitation of abstract considerations on nanotechnologies, mediated their perspectives through social experiences and contexts, presenting them as theatrical performances. The aim of this article is to reflect on the role of researchers, materials and the design of the focus groups in the enactment of participatory subjects, elaborating on the articulations of participatory assemblages, subjectivities and politics.