Call for Proposals: Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology Conference

Call for Proposals, Open Roundtables Session

5th Annual Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology Conference

At the Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology
The University of Texas at Dallas
May 19-22, 2015

Keynote Address:

• Sharyn Clough (Oregon State), "STEMming the skeptical tide: Feminist science studies as vaccine."
  • Author of Beyond Epistemology: A Pragmatist Approach to Feminist Science Studies

Science, technology, and medicine have a major impact on our lives. We live with constant technological innovation and scientific discovery, and this changes the conditions that we live in, as well as the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Science, technology, and medicine are thus entangled with our values, our culture, and our politics, and they have an important impact on policymaking and action. Making value judgments is important to the way that we fund, conduct, evaluate, and apply scientific research. 

We are organizing an "Open Roundtables" session of the type commonly found at social science conferences like the American Sociological Association. The session will be held in a room with 4-6 round tables that seat 10-12 people. Each table with have 2-3 presenters giving short (10-15 minute) versions of their papers, with plenty of time left for discussion. Each table will have a presider to coordinate presentations and facilitate discussion. Discussion proceeds simultaneously at all tables listed on each session. No audio-visual equipment is supplied or permitted at the Open Roundtable Session.

We invite proposals that engage with issues of values in medicine, science, and technology from a variety of disciplinary and theoretical approaches, including philosophy of science, technology, & medicine, epistemology, ethics and political philosophy, history, science and technology studies, policy studies, literary and cultural studies, and natural and social sciences. We welcome proposals in the broad area of values in medicine, science, and technology, but we will give priority to proposals on this year's three target themes:

1. Gender, sex, and sexuality in science, technology, and medicine
2. Science and values in the work of Paul K. Feyerabend, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Against Method
3. Distinguishing legitimate from illegitimate roles for values in science

We welcome any paper and panel proposals in the broad area of values in medicine, science, and technology, but we will give priority to proposals on these target themes.

Please submit a 250 word abstract. 

Presenters who are presenting on the main program are ineligible for presentation at the Open Roundtables session.

We will consider proposals on a rolling basis. We will get back to you ASAP.

Conference facilities will be wheelchair accessible, and interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing can be provided upon request. For any questions about the conference, please contact [email protected]

The Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology is an institutional member of the Consortium for Socially Relevant Philosophy of/in Science and/or Engineering (SRPoiSE).