Technology assessment and postnormal science

Abstract

Since the 1970’ies, a central tool to convey policy advice on technological matters has been Technology Assessment (TA). Many different TA models exist, and this paper provides and overview of some important ones: Normal TA, Rational TA, Ethical TA, Hermeneutical TA, Participatory TA, and Constructivist TA. A central question investigated here is how existing TA models relate to Postnormal Science (PNS). The output is a comparison of how the presented TA models engage with PNS sensitivities that are translated into formats that support the comparison: Uncertainty management is translated into an outline of whether the TA models relate to existing, near or distant future technologies where uncertainties are typically low, medium low / high, or high. Decision stakes are translated into an overview of which stakeholder roles are invited into the TA process, and how the different TA models scaffold work across interests and perspectives through work in different forms of Extended peer communities. The comparison also addresses how ethics is attended in the TA-models. In conclusion the paper argues that it is not possible to link one TA model to PNS and to say that one TA model is postnormal. Postnormal TAs will be set up from case to case picking and collecting inspiration from different TA models.