Curious about race: Generous methods and modes of knowing in practice

Area of Science:

• Science and technology studies
• Forensic science
• Social sciences

Background:

• The concept of race is complex and inconsistently applied across scientific disciplines.
• Understanding race's role in scientific practices requires novel analytical approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose new methods for understanding the multifaceted nature of race in science.
• To introduce the "affinity concept" to articulate race's varied scientific realities.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing "generous methods" that are open-ended and curious.
• Analyzing empirical examples from forensic identification technologies.
• Drawing on the history of race and contemporary forensic genetics.

Main Results:

• Race's "slipperiness" and political shifts are not fully captured by viewing it as a singular "object multiple".
• The term "race" refers to different phenomena across scientific contexts.
• The "affinity concept" identifies race as an object, method, and theory.

Conclusions:

• Race functions as distinct yet interconnected scientific realities: object, method, and theory.
• These realities contribute to the dynamic and impactful nature of race in science.
• A new conceptual framework is needed to grasp race's complexity in scientific practice.