"Are You a TA Practitioner, Then?" - Identity Constructions in Post-Normal Science

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• Science and Technology Studies

Background:

• Technology Assessment (TA) involves natural, technical, and social sciences, aiming for scientific analysis, public outreach, and policy advice.
• TA fosters a community with distinct discourses, conferences, and publications, yet the scholarly identity of TA practitioners remains ambiguous.
• Understanding identity formation is crucial for researchers in inter- and transdisciplinary fields like TA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the inter/trans/disciplinary identification patterns of researchers at an academic TA institute.
• To explore how TA practitioners form scholarly identities within a multidisciplinary environment.
• To analyze the influence of generational affiliation on TA practitioners' identity formation.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis based on interviews with technology assessment practitioners.
• Exploration of identification patterns and identity troubles among TA researchers.
• Examination of factors influencing identity, including generational affiliation, disciplinary background, and career orientation.

Main Results:

• TA practitioners adopt multiple, sometimes conflicting, identities (e.g., 'enthusiastic TA practitioner,' 'interdisciplinarian,' 'disciplinarian').
• Generational affiliation is a key factor in identity formation, linked to research/advisory orientation, disciplinary background, and tenure.
• Disciplinary categories remain significant within transdisciplinary identities, and time spent in TA influences identity perception.

Conclusions:

• Disciplinary backgrounds strongly shape transdisciplinary identities.
• The role of time (chronos) in identity formation and career progression in TA requires further sociological consideration.
• TA's multidisciplinary nature and multiple orientations create diverse identities, challenging stable community formation.