Chapter 7. The Usefulness of Socio-Technical Controversies

Abstract

Contrary to accepted ideas, the public can be an excellent sounder of alarms and public controversies have real social productivity both as a means of exploring the stakes and as a way of learning the scenarios and the arguments about them. Moreover, far from demobilising, controversies widen the scope of collective actions. They are an opportunity to build identities and actions; they also allow the stabilisation of heterogeneous stakes and ensure their social visibility.