Abstract
This paper characterizes the activities of two nongovernmental environmental monitoring networks working to protect watersheds in the Northeast United States from the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. The fi rst is a grassroots coalition of advocacy groups. The second is a large network managed by academic institutions. In both cases, knowledge infrastructures were built to distribute resources and to assist members in using data to make scientifi c claims. I fi nd that the designs of these knowledge infrastructures can reproduce entrenched dynamics of power in ways that advance the agendas of some stakeholders more than others. However, fi ndings also suggest that the 'grassroots' of infrastructures can tactically alter power relationships and redistribute resources to their advantage. By bringing a discourse of power and empowerment into the study of knowledge infrastructures, this paper off ers a theoretical contribution to better understand the conditions by which marginalized stakeholders shape knowledge work to deal with complex scientifi c and environmental problems.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 26-43 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Science and Technology Studies |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2016 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Citizen Science
- Environmental Justice
- Infrastructures
- Public Empowerment
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- History and Philosophy of Science
Cite this
Building knowledge infrastructures for empowerment : A study of grassroots water monitoring networks in the Marcellus Shale. / Jalbert, Kirk.
In: Science and Technology Studies, Vol. 29, No. 2, 01.01.2016, p. 26-43.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Building knowledge infrastructures for empowerment
T2 - A study of grassroots water monitoring networks in the Marcellus Shale
AU - Jalbert, Kirk
PY - 2016/1/1
Y1 - 2016/1/1
N2 - This paper characterizes the activities of two nongovernmental environmental monitoring networks working to protect watersheds in the Northeast United States from the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. The fi rst is a grassroots coalition of advocacy groups. The second is a large network managed by academic institutions. In both cases, knowledge infrastructures were built to distribute resources and to assist members in using data to make scientifi c claims. I fi nd that the designs of these knowledge infrastructures can reproduce entrenched dynamics of power in ways that advance the agendas of some stakeholders more than others. However, fi ndings also suggest that the 'grassroots' of infrastructures can tactically alter power relationships and redistribute resources to their advantage. By bringing a discourse of power and empowerment into the study of knowledge infrastructures, this paper off ers a theoretical contribution to better understand the conditions by which marginalized stakeholders shape knowledge work to deal with complex scientifi c and environmental problems.
AB - This paper characterizes the activities of two nongovernmental environmental monitoring networks working to protect watersheds in the Northeast United States from the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. The fi rst is a grassroots coalition of advocacy groups. The second is a large network managed by academic institutions. In both cases, knowledge infrastructures were built to distribute resources and to assist members in using data to make scientifi c claims. I fi nd that the designs of these knowledge infrastructures can reproduce entrenched dynamics of power in ways that advance the agendas of some stakeholders more than others. However, fi ndings also suggest that the 'grassroots' of infrastructures can tactically alter power relationships and redistribute resources to their advantage. By bringing a discourse of power and empowerment into the study of knowledge infrastructures, this paper off ers a theoretical contribution to better understand the conditions by which marginalized stakeholders shape knowledge work to deal with complex scientifi c and environmental problems.
KW - Citizen Science
KW - Environmental Justice
KW - Infrastructures
KW - Public Empowerment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84971383856&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84971383856&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84971383856
VL - 29
SP - 26
EP - 43
JO - Science and Technology Studies
JF - Science and Technology Studies
SN - 2243-4690
IS - 2
ER -