Postscript: Vaccine Crumbs and Science and Technology Studies

Abstract

For many years, Science and Technology Studies (STS) scholars have had to make the case for the study of the interrelations of science, policy and society. By one stroke, the COVID-19 pandemic brought home this argument: topics at the heart of STS’s intellectual programme have occupied the public agenda and have spurred heated debates in politics, the media, and society. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the scientific community in unprecedented ways. Scientists have contributed their advice and expertise to pandemic response, they have influenced political and social decision making, and they have impacted people’s daily lives across the globe. More than ever, it appears, science’s powerful contributions warrant empirical, descriptive and analytical knowledge from the interdisciplinary field of STS. Indeed, this field of scholarship is likely to prosper in the aftermath of the pandemic. The pandemic, in turn, will leave its imprint on STS research and teaching. What will the next generation of STS scholarship look like? While the pandemic continues to ravage the globe, we currently have a brief historical window of opportunity to reflect upon the direction of our professional field and to consider routes ahead. Which topics are likely to receive STS attention? What concepts and methods will the STS community favour in addressing these topics? What will be the intellectual hallmarks of a post-pandemic STS programme?