[Tps] ECPR/Policy Network: Workshop on Government of Life at the Margins, University of Vienna, November 27th and 28th 2006

[navdeep]

*WORKSHOP *

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* Life at the Margins //*

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*/International Workshop organized by the Life Science Governance (LSG) 
Research Platform, University of Vienna, November 27^th and 28^th 2006/*

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*/Speakers include Lene Koch (Department of Public Health, University of 
Copenhagen,) and Dominique Memmi (director of the research group" 
/**/Cultures et sociétés urbaines"/**/ at the "Centre National de la 
Recherche Scientifique", Paris)/**//*

 

 

Over the last decades, developments in the life sciences and 
bio-medicine have profoundly challenged our traditional understanding of 
what 'life' means. In particular, the margins of life, its beginning and 
its end, have been transformed from naturally given boundaries to hybrid 
zones of negotiation. The contested identity of the embodiment of this 
life at the margins, the early human embryo and the comatose patient, 
vividly demonstrate that 'life at the margins' has moved to the centre 
of political debates.

 

National and regional differences in public discussions and regulations 
of cloning, embryo research, transplantation, or the end of life, show 
that these negotiations are heavily influenced by social, cultural, 
religious and political factors. Both the technological/material 
feasibility and related societal expectations provide the context for 
the new government of life.

 

Today, we are faced with a set of novel political questions: who is 
allowed to speak truth on the margins of life topics? Why do some 
construct an embryo as 'a living person', others as a 'clump of cells'? 
What are the arguments to put an end to the life of a person in coma? 
How are such decisions made and by whom? How /should /they be made and 
by whom? While such questions have been broadly discussed in philosophy 
or in the STS field, the workshop will systematically focus on the 
implications of these new questions for our understanding of what 
constitutes government of life today. We are especially interested in 
discussing comparatively the relationship between the various sites 
where the margins of life are negotiated, and the implications of these 
cross-site negotiations for emerging modes in the government of life. 
Case studies will be presented from different disciplinary perspectives 
such as sciences, social studies of science, political science, ethics 
and sociology.

 

We especially invite young researchers working on topics such as the 
government of stem cell research, cloning, genetics, assisted 
reproduction, transplantation, end-of-life issues and other related 
topics to submit an application. Applicants are asked to include 
information on their research projects (max. 500 words). **

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*Application deadline*: October 21, 2006 to be sent via e-mail to 
anna.durnova at univie.ac.at <mailto:anna.durnova at univie.ac.at>. 
Registration fee for the workshop is 30 Euros.

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