Reimagining the Relationship Between Science and Society
In a world where scientific discovery increasingly shapes public policy, legal frameworks, environmental strategies, and even collective identity, States of Knowledge: The Co-Production of Science and Social Order offers a profound and timely re-examination of how we understand the intricate dance between knowledge and power. Edited by renowned scholar Sheila Jasanoff, this collection presents a rich, interdisciplinary perspective on what has come to be known as the “co-production” of science and social order—a concept that refuses to see science as either neutral or isolated from societal influence.
This volume brings together some of the most respected voices in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), including Michel Callon, Brian Wynne, Yaron Ezrahi, and Peter Dear, among others. Each chapter provides a case study or conceptual reflection that illuminates how scientific knowledge is not merely discovered but is actively shaped by, and simultaneously shapes, social structures, identities, discourses, and institutions.
What Is “Co-Production”?
Jasanoff introduces co-production as more than a theory—rather, an idiom of interpretation. It is “shorthand for the proposition that the ways in which we know and represent the world are inseparable from the ways in which we choose to live in it”. This idea underpins the entire volume, which systematically dismantles the conventional view of science as an objective mirror of reality, instead positing that scientific facts and social norms are mutually constitutive.
As the editor writes in the opening chapter, science is “neither a simple reflection of the truth about nature nor an epiphenomenon of social and political interests” but a site where epistemic and social authority are continually negotiated.
Structure and Themes
The book is divided into thematic clusters:
- Environmental Governance: Essays by Clark A. Miller, Charis Thompson, and the duo Claire Waterton & Brian Wynne explore how global climate models, African elephant conservation, and the European Environment Agency reflect co-production in practice. These chapters show that even ecological knowledge is steeped in politics, ethics, and identity.
- Life Sciences and Medicine: Hilgartner, Callon & Rabeharisoa, and Lynch delve into genetics, patient-led research, and forensic science, revealing how laboratory practices and courtroom categories are socially constructed and constantly renegotiated.
- Historical and Political Imaginaries: Contributions by Peter Dear, Michael Aaron Dennis, John Carson, and Yaron Ezrahi situate science within broader political transformations—from 17th-century absolutism to Cold War technocracy and the mediatisation of modern democracy.
Each case study is deeply grounded, offering both empirical rigor and theoretical innovation. Whether discussing genome laboratories, the rise of intelligence testing in France and the US, or how media outformations now rival science in shaping public imaginaries, the essays converge on one central truth: knowledge is always political.
Why This Book Matters
States of Knowledge is not merely academic. It is a powerful reminder that decisions about science—how it is conducted, communicated, and institutionalised—are also decisions about who we are and how we live together. In times of climate crisis, biomedical upheaval, and AI ethics debates, this message is more urgent than ever.
This collection also serves as a bridge between STS and other disciplines, challenging political science, anthropology, law, and sociology to reconsider their assumptions about objectivity, expertise, and governance.
What Critics Say
Scholars and reviewers have hailed the book for its conceptual clarity and broad applicability:
- Science, Technology, & Human Values praises it as a “definitive statement” in the field, noting that it “provides the analytical tools needed to understand the messy entanglements of knowledge and governance” (T. Forsyth, 2005 review).
- The British Journal of Sociology called it “a landmark text… which demonstrates the intellectual maturity of science studies” (A. Irwin, 2004), particularly commending Jasanoff’s introductory and concluding chapters for articulating the theoretical stakes of co-production.
- Bruno Latour, whose work underpins much of the STS movement, has often referred to co-production as “the way forward” for integrating natural and social orders without reductionism—though he was not a contributor, his influence is acknowledged.
For Whom?
This book is essential reading for:
- Researchers in STS, sociology, political theory, anthropology, and law
- Environmental policymakers and NGO leaders
- Philosophers and historians of science
- Advanced students in the humanities and social sciences
But its accessibility—despite being deeply theoretical—makes it valuable to any reader interested in the intersections of science, democracy, and culture.
Final Verdict
States of Knowledge is a milestone in contemporary thought—a book that doesn’t just document how science and society interact, but fundamentally reorients how we must think about knowledge itself. Through sharp analysis, historical depth, and an ambitious scope, it gives voice to a new kind of realism—one that refuses to treat facts and values as separable, or power and knowledge as antagonists.In an age increasingly defined by “epistemic battles”—over vaccines, climate change, AI, and more—this volume equips us with both language and vision to better understand the world-making power of knowledge.