Articulation of Sustainability in Nanotechnology: Funnels of Articulation

摘要: Sustainability is a broad ‘umbrella’ term that can be articulated in many different, and sometimes even contradictory, ways. Typically, processes of articulation involve two funnels: the specification broader terms into more specific ones (top-down), legitimation activities by relating them to encompassing goals (bottom-up). The nanotechnology field provides interesting cases for studying articulation. Because this young, articulation are explicit, which makes traceable. This chapter will investigate and compare where funnels articulation differ: some specifications of sustainability have become taken for granted: when mentioning solar panel, it safely assumed people know sustainable. Other are not obvious require explanatory work connect them umbrella order gain legitimacy. specification and legitimacy thus differ degrees they or less fixed. This compares these dynamics translations both sustainability. It show what counts as sustainable depends on of freedom specify legitimise research efforts.