ABSTRACT
The making of new technoscience objects is always a social enterprise, but the social shaping of research and innovation processes does not mean that society is appropriately prepared for the incorporation of the new object. Such incorporation is needed to bring the new technoscience out of the liminal space of development. Thus, new technoscience is often the focus of what we call socialisation efforts that above all involve sense-making processes, such as suggestions regarding the interpretation of the technoscience object in question including its future use, but also the communication of risks as well as social and ethical concerns. The actors that may be involved, for example, researchers, policymakers, regulatory institutions, marketing people, and news media, usually do not see their efforts as socialisation but as science communication, innovation policy, public information, or marketing. By highlighting the concept of socialisation, this chapter aims to identify and make visible activities that are important to support or to impede the incorporation of liminal technoscience objects; socialisation may emphasise benefits as well as risks. Further incorporation requires domestication processes that build on ongoing and previous efforts of socialisation. This chapter starts with a theoretical discussion of the concept of socialisation of new technoscience objects before it proceeds to discuss some examples of socialisation of such objects, reviewing research from four socialisation arenas: research, newspapers, demonstration and pilot projects, and marketing. The aim of this review is to identify potential socialisation actors and strategies. The conclusion further discusses the relationship between socialisation and domestication and how socialisation may result in improved technoscience citizenship.
