In this informal talk, I will elaborate on some of my experiences with the use of theory in empirical social science and epistemological issues and problems I have encountered in my own work. For some time, I have sought leeway in the sociological theory of Pierre Bourdieu, drawing on french traditions in historical epistemology, which always come with a natural science inkling that I feel attached to. However, Bourdieu's position has particularly been attacked by Bruno Latour, the recent Holberg International Memorial Prize winner and I will attempt to make sense of their disagreements. My thinking on these issues is definitely on an early stage, and I hope to engage you in a dialogue concerning the present role of theory and epistemology in the natural sciences, as you practice it.
About the speaker
Tore Slaatta was trained as a political sociologist at the University of Oslo in the 1980s. After completion of his PhD in 1999 on transnational journalism in the European public sphere, he worked with media and cultural research within ARENA (Advanced Research on the Europeanisation of the Nation State) and the Power and Democracy Program. He is presently professor at the Department of Media and Communication and research director of a NFR-funded project on cultural politics and art production called Art! Power!.