In a wide range of contemporary debates on Japanese cultures technological practice, brief reference is often made to distinct Shinto legacies, as forming an animist substratum indigenous spiritual beliefs and cosmological imaginations. Japan has been described land Shinto-infused ‘techno-animism’: exhibiting ‘polymorphous perversity’ that resolutely ignores boundaries between human, animal, mechanical beings. this article, we deploy instances techno-animism sites theoretical experimentation...

New Environments, Challenges

Abstract Mitigating human‐induced climate change calls for a globalized of consciousness and practice. These global challenges also demand double transformation the social sciences – first, from ‘methodological nationalism’ to cosmopolitanism’ and, second, an empirical reorientation towards ‘cosmopolitization’ as force emerging cosmopolitan realities. One these realities is possible emergence, locally globally, ‘cosmopolitan communities risk’ in response ‘world at risk’. A key research...

This article examines some of the difficulties universalistic science in situations deep conflict over global nature, using empirical material pertaining to ongoing controversies context Japanese whaling practices. Within global-scale assemblages since 1970s, has become a ‘‘post-sovereign’’ authority, unable impose any stable definition nature on all actors. Instead, across spaces antagonistic differences, anti- and pro-whalers now ontologically enact multiplicity mutually irreconcilable...

This article engages the French pragmatism of Laurent Thévenot, Luc Boltanski and Bruno Latour in debates on how to forge a moral-political sociology ecological valuation, justification critique. Picking up debate initiated by Thévenot possible emergence novel ‘green’ order worth, juxtaposes critical capacity with actor-network theory Latour. In doing so, suggests that each these three pragmatic sociologists succeeds, characteristically different ways, theoretically articulating an important...

The rise of Big Data in the social realm poses significant questions at intersection science, technology, and society, including terms how new large-scale databases are currently changing methods, epistemologies, politics science. In this commentary, we address such epochal (“large-scale”) by way a (situated) experiment: Danish Technical University Copenhagen, an interdisciplinary group computer scientists, physicists, economists, sociologists, anthropologists (including authors) is setting...

Signalling that ‘humanity’ has radically changed the Earth’s environmental parameters, Anthropocene currently generates debate across socio-cultural sciences. In this context, neo-Marxist and new materialist approaches stand out for way they oblige social theory to catch up with material realities. We share conviction might constitute a genuine event practice. However, we argue search alternative ways of problematizing ‘dramatizing’ our eco-political predicament confronts these unresolved...

Citizen deliberation on technoscientific developments is regularly regarded as a hallmark of Danish democracy, embodied in particular by the Board Technology. Few empirically guided questions have been raised, however, to how Board’s democratic projects actually work. Through case study May 2003 consensus conference environmental economics policy tool, article reflects politics expert authority permeating practices public participation. Adopting concepts from sociology scientific knowledge...

Abstract In empirical discussion on global connections, frequent allusions are made to Michael Burawoy's 'global' and George Marcus' 'multi‐sited' ethnographies. While both have inspired transnational fieldwork, neither methodological approach has sufficiently analysed the local‐global dichotomy embedded at their core. Drawing actor‐network theory (ANT), this article suggests an alternative framework for mobile ethnography, better suited a social world conceived in network‐relational terms....

Why are anti- and pro-whaling coalitions still engaged in morally heated confrontations over whales tracing back to the 1970s? Revisiting global whaling controversy, this article applies insights from political sociology of social movements highlight importance politics identity embedded an elite-driven countermovement Japan. As is well documented, Japan has proven a most difficult context for emerging “global” anti-whaling norm. Rather than simply reflecting material interests or cultural...

Abstract The performativity of economics programme, pioneered by actor-network theorist Michel Callon, has emerged as an important theoretical intervention at the intersections science studies, economic sociology and anthropology valuation. Exploring case contested carbon market designs in global climate governance, however, this article argues that analysts have so far failed to pay sufficient attention political dimensions marketization. Adopting insights from recent materialist approaches...

An important philosopher and anthropologist of science, Bruno Latour has recently outlined an ambitious programme for a new sociological empiricism, in continuation his actor-network-theory (ANT). Interrogating issues description, explanation theoretical interpretation this ‘sociology associations’, we argue that certain internal tensions are manifest. While Latour's philosophy social science demands absolute abandonment theory all its forms, proposing instead to simply ‘go on describing’,...

In this article, we explore the cultural-political tensions and ambiguities of urban ecology, by way following how activists move translate between ‘familiar’ ‘public’ engagements in green city. Empirically, locate our exploration around Nordhavnen (The North Harbor), a large-scale sustainable development project Copenhagen. Invoking Laurent Thévenot’s pragmatic sociology ‘regimes engagement’, sketch culturally sensitive approach to ecological activism, highlighting critical moral capacities...

Over the past few decades, notions of environmental, ecological or green gentrification in cities have entered lexicon critical urban scholars and activists alike, not least North American European settings. This happens amidst growing concerns that current policy planning emphasis on making more sustainable serves some cases to exacerbate socio-material inequalities city via forms residential displacement. In this commentary, I respond recent calls for expanding socio-geographical...

Existing research has increasingly identified synergies and trade-offs between urban climate change mitigation adaptation policies. There is a gap, however, in our knowledge of the extent to which efforts affect adoption Analysing presence different levels European cities, while also considering local risks national mandates, results show positive significant correlation This partly result perceptions discourses linking global risks, consequence co-benefits two activities at level, enable...

This short piece responds to five commentaries our own suggestions on ‘What Next for Actor Network Theory?’ after Latour's passing. Charting a path through very heterogenous ideas, we attempt re-scenarise what consider the wheat of fruitful theoretical questioning and extensions from chaff worn-out adversarial gestures around actor-network theory (ANT) in sociology beyond. Inventing Latour planet distress, affirm with commentators, certainly brings ANT into dialogues broader strands feminist...

Expert-based environmental and health risk regulation is widely believed to suffer from a lack of public understanding legitimacy. On controversial issues such as genetically modified organisms food-related chemicals, “lay—expert discrepancy” in the assessment risks clearly visible. In this article, we analyze relationship between scientific experts ordinary lay citizens context pesticide usage Denmark. Drawing on concepts “sociology knowledge” (SSK), contend that differences perception must...

Climate change is quickly becoming a ubiquitous socionatural reality, mediating extremes of sociospatial scale from the bodily to planetary. Although environmentalism invites us ‘think globally and act locally’, meaning these scalar designations remains ambiguous. This paper explores topological presuppositions social theory in context global climate change, asking how carbon emissions ‘translate’ into various sociomaterial forms. Staging meeting between Tim Ingold's phenomenology globes...

This paper engages key social theories of transnational mobilities in order to forge the concept urban ‘green’ cosmopolitization, posited as a scientific contribution epochal conversations on climate change. Bringing Ulrich Beck's notion ‘cosmopolitization’ bear recent work around ‘urban policy mobilities’, I analyze professional planning practices large-scale world cities privileged sites for contemporary imaginings and material implementations low-carbon sociotechnical Focusing regions...

The era of 'big data' studies and computational social science has recently given rise to a number realignments within beyond the sciences, where otherwise distinct data formats – digital, numerical, ethnographic, visual, etc. rub off emerge from one another in new ways. This article chronicles collaboration between team anthropologists sociologists, who worked together for week an experimental attempt combine 'big' transactional 'small' ethnographic formats. Our is part larger...