Veranstaltung

Jul 7, 2022
Caste, Religion, and the Laboratory Life

Based on Thomas’s recently published book, Science and Religion in India: Beyond Disenchantment (London: Routledge, 2021), this talk will address some of the emerging questions and concerns in Science and Technology Studies, and laboratory ethnography. The talk explores how caste and caste identities shape scientific culture in India. It will discuss how the notions of merit and passion for doing science was reinscribed and calibrated to denote the alleged castelessness and objectivity in science. The apparent castelessness and claims of objectivity among scientists co-existed with a significant interest in caste genealogies and family origins, and their preferences for distinct food habits and taste in cultural expressions. The talk will discuss in detail the ways in which the conversion of caste as culture normalised various caste-cultural practices among Indian scientists and preserved the image of science as Brahmins’ vocation.

 

Adresse
MPIWG, Boltzmannstraße 22, 14195 Berlin, Deutschland
Room
Room 265
Kontakt und Registrierung

Room 265 can accommodate up to 10 people. 

This is a hybrid event and will be open to all online. To register, please contact Tamar Novick (tnovick@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de).

 

 

2022-07-07T11:00:00SAVE IN I-CAL 2022-07-07 11:00:00 2022-07-07 12:30:00 Caste, Religion, and the Laboratory Life Based on Thomas’s recently published book, Science and Religion in India: Beyond Disenchantment (London: Routledge, 2021), this talk will address some of the emerging questions and concerns in Science and Technology Studies, and laboratory ethnography. The talk explores how caste and caste identities shape scientific culture in India. It will discuss how the notions of merit and passion for doing science was reinscribed and calibrated to denote the alleged castelessness and objectivity in science. The apparent castelessness and claims of objectivity among scientists co-existed with a significant interest in caste genealogies and family origins, and their preferences for distinct food habits and taste in cultural expressions. The talk will discuss in detail the ways in which the conversion of caste as culture normalised various caste-cultural practices among Indian scientists and preserved the image of science as Brahmins’ vocation.   MPIWG, Boltzmannstraße 22, 14195 Berlin, Germany Room 265 Tamar NovickMinakshi Menon Tamar NovickMinakshi Menon Europe/Berlin public