Pluralistic Collaboration in Science and Technology

Reviewing Knowledge Systems, Culture, Norms, and Work Styles

Bibliographic Data

ID11261587
AuthorsHalfon (0000-0001-5630-3164, Virginia Tech, corresponding author), B K Sovacool (0000-0002-4794-9403, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom)
Year2023
Volume48
Issue5
Pages1138-1175
Publication date2023-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScience Technology & Human Values (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0162-2439 • E-ISSN: 1552-8251
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/01622439221124663
OpenAlexW4304166133
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited90

This paper challenges the language of “interdisciplinarity,” suggesting “pluralistic collaboration” as a better alternative. Interdisciplinarity, team science, and transdisciplinarity frame academic and problem-focused collaborations narrowly, overemphasizing epistemology, downplaying extra-disciplinary divides and nonacademic collaborators, and either ignoring or psychologizing individual-level phenomena. We first paint a picture of the tensions and divides that exist in pluralistic collaborations, in three dimensions—epistemic, cultural, and normative—using a series of literature reviews to simultaneously map and extend these dimensions. We then introduce and explore a fourth dimension—academic work styles. Individual level considerations of collaboration in the literature generally rely on psychological types. We explore what a more sociologically oriented approach to individual dynamics within collaborations would look like by identifying and exploring four general academic work styles: isolationist, imperialist, pragmatist, and pluralist. We conclude by emphasizing and reflecting on pluralistic collaboration. Pluralism exists along a range of dimensions, and pluralizing or homogenizing different dimensions (pluralizing pluralism) can produce diverse effects on the outcome of interdisciplinary collaboration. While we thus advocate for pluralism along a greater range of dimensions when addressing complex problems, we suggest that over-pluralization can be a problem

Dimension (graph theory · Discipline · Engineering ethics · Epistemology · Normative · Pluralism (philosophy · Pragmatism · Problem of universals · Social science · Sociology · Transdisciplinarity · Innovation, Technology, and Society · Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration · University-Industry-Government Innovation Models

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