Sovereignty Unmasked: Science & Technology Studies, the Pandemic, and Political Theory

Uprisings against public health policies such as vaccine and mask mandates during the late stages of the Covid-19 pandemic have brought to the forefront modernity’s tacit social contract with science and expertise. Focusing on the governance regime that I call “public health sovereignty,” I will explore the rules and practices of delegation that help explain why resistance has followed divergent paths across the 16 countries included in a Harvard-Cornell comparative study of national responses to Covid-19. The talk will also reflect on the method of comparison as a device for illuminating STS’s contributions to political and constitutional theory.

If you would like to attend in person please register with enquiries@insis.ox.ac.uk

Please follow link to join remotely.