Seminar and Workshop

“Technology and Postcoloniality: Historical and Social Studies of Technology on Southeast Asia”

Malang & Pasuruan, 25-26 January 2019

Abstract
We welcome proposals to a workshop “Technology and Postcoloniality: Historical and Social Studies of Technology in Southeast Asia”. The workshop aims to address some key themes and questions in doing study into technology and postcoloniality in and of Southeast Asia. We pose questions such: in what ways have scholars, policy makers, researchers, and lecturers studied science and technology in post-colonial context? What kinds of concepts, methods, views, and techniques they have utilized to address the issues of science and technology in Southeast Asia?

Our rationale to pose such questions is most of the existing literatures on Science and Technology Studies (STS) were much focusing on the dynamic in/of Western countries, specifically, the United States and Europe. Although some scholars have done various historical and social studies on science and technology in Southeast Asian countries, we still know little about the existing nexus of science, technology and post-coloniality in the region. Likewise, historical and social studies of science and technology remain a marginal subject in most universities and research institutions in Southeast Asian.

There is a situation that, in most countries in the region, science as well as technological innovation institutions are built in the Colonial era by the Colonial regime. While most of these institutions still exist, but changes happen. In addition to these colonial legacies, new political administrations are trying to maintain their regimes by establishing new research and science institutions to develop and maintain their political ideology. Simultaneously, there are some non-governmental institutions as well as private companies which also take part in creating, maintaining, modifying, or omitting certain scientific knowledge and technology for the society.

Our expected outcome of the workshop is to list key, relevant literatures on historical and social studies of science and technology in the region. Lastly, the workshop will also discuss any possibility of research collaboration addressing the issue of historical and social studies of science and technology and its relation to postcoloniality.

For submission, please visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIO0l65t1LgqFYgKI-aBvSUMiXw_HOwgljNLHzk886GTS_5g/viewform