Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MISHA (Militant Science. European Physicists and the Emergence of Transnational Radical Science Movements)
Période du rapport: 2022-01-01 au 2023-12-31
Drawing on largely unexplored archival sources, oral histories, and primary literature, MISHA studies the processes of emergence of transnational Radical Science Movements (from now onwards: RSMs) from the 1960s to the mid-1980s as forms of reflection on both the limits and the emancipatory potential of science. In particular, the research focuses primarily on the physics community (one of the most stressed in science and society relations) and transnational connections between the United States, Britain, France, and Italy.
The project fills some important gaps in the existing critical literature on these issues: 1) MISHA provides an innovative historiographical reconstruction of the emergence and development of such RSMs (until now almost exclusively based on national case studies such as the UK or US instead of transnational connections); 2), it thoroughly examines some case studies that have been little studied despite their extreme relevance (such as the Italian case); and 3), it analyzes the theoretical-epistemological stances internal to these movements in order to understand their eventual political relevance (especially in the context of the neutrality/non-neutrality of scientific knowledge debate).
The project fills some important gaps in the existing critical literature on these issues: 1) MISHA provides an innovative historiographical reconstruction of the emergence and development of such RSMs (until now almost exclusively based on national case studies such as the UK or US instead of transnational connections); 2), it thoroughly examines some case studies that have been little studied despite their extreme relevance (such as the Italian case); and 3), it analyzes the theoretical-epistemological stances internal to these movements in order to understand their eventual political relevance (especially in the context of the neutrality/non-neutrality of scientific knowledge debate).
In order to do this, Dr. Ienna eclectically developed an interdisciplinary research framework aimed at integrating research tools from the history of science, historical and political epistemology, sociology of science and political theory. MISHA project developed 5 main Research Actions (RA) each of which corresponds to specific Work Packages (hereafter WP) and obviously to research sub-objectives. Dr. Ienna collected unexplored archival material in Italy, the United States and Great Britain (RA1) and worked concurrently on the systematic reading of sources published as European and American journals, monographs, and translations of essays and articles (RA2). The material thus collected enabled him to reconstruct scientific networks relevant to a reconstruction of the transnational history of radical scientific movements RA4) and to trace politically oriented transnational collaborations among radical scientists, both at the institutional and informal level (RA4). Finally, Dr. Ienna worked on the theoretical, epistemological and methodological aspects related to his project (RA5).
In accordance with section 1.1. of DoA, MISHA aims to fill some gaps in the study of history of RSMs as well as to propose an innovative perspective in this research field. In the “State of the art” section of the DoA it was pointed out how, on the one hand, existing literature on the development of RSMs are often confined to national associations and journals," on the other hand, how some national cases (such as the Italian one) were still largely unexplored despite their importance. The MISHA project aspires to overcome these limitations through a transnational approach aimed at shedding light on the dynamics of international circulation of radical ideas about science, with a particular focus on the relationships among physics communities in Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
During the first 24 months, the MISHA project has already produced 2 monographs, 2 edited volumes, 5 special issues, 12 peer reviewed articles, 6 essays, 1 permanent seminar (4 total meetings at the moment); 4 organized conferences/symposia; 9 participations in international conferences and 3 invited lectures.
The action was also successful in terms of the researcher's career development: according to the project, a career plan was established (under the supervision of prof. Badino and Baldwin) at the beginning of the action and many of the goals were achieved earlier than planned. The main achievement in this regard was obtaining the Italian National Scientific Qualification (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale - ASN) as associate professor for both the disciplinary fields of Logic, Philosophy and History of Science (11/C2) and General Sociology (14/C1). The ASN, in turn, increases the ER's potential to be considered for a tenured position, which is the ER's main long-term career goal. In this sense, therefore, the Action has been very successful, leading the ER to be both nationally and internationally recognized as a talented interdisciplinary researcher. More broadly, MISHA has enabled ER to establish even closer connections with the University of Maryland, the University of Manchester as well as with a wide range of institutions and universities with which Dr. Ienna has engaged in collaborations.
During the first 24 months, the MISHA project has already produced 2 monographs, 2 edited volumes, 5 special issues, 12 peer reviewed articles, 6 essays, 1 permanent seminar (4 total meetings at the moment); 4 organized conferences/symposia; 9 participations in international conferences and 3 invited lectures.
The action was also successful in terms of the researcher's career development: according to the project, a career plan was established (under the supervision of prof. Badino and Baldwin) at the beginning of the action and many of the goals were achieved earlier than planned. The main achievement in this regard was obtaining the Italian National Scientific Qualification (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale - ASN) as associate professor for both the disciplinary fields of Logic, Philosophy and History of Science (11/C2) and General Sociology (14/C1). The ASN, in turn, increases the ER's potential to be considered for a tenured position, which is the ER's main long-term career goal. In this sense, therefore, the Action has been very successful, leading the ER to be both nationally and internationally recognized as a talented interdisciplinary researcher. More broadly, MISHA has enabled ER to establish even closer connections with the University of Maryland, the University of Manchester as well as with a wide range of institutions and universities with which Dr. Ienna has engaged in collaborations.