How How How How are we thinking the future of are we thinking the future of are we thinking the future of are we thinking the future of EU?EU?EU?EU?

Andrea Cerroni Andrea Cerroni Andrea Cerroni Andrea Cerroni ---- University of MilanUniversity of MilanUniversity of MilanUniversity of Milan----BicoccaBicoccaBicoccaBicocca

Rita Giuffredi Rita Giuffredi Rita Giuffredi Rita Giuffredi ---- CERN & PhD candidate University of BolognaCERN & PhD candidate University of BolognaCERN & PhD candidate University of BolognaCERN & PhD candidate University of Bologna

H2020 through the eyes of the Commission(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CimJI88c4fE)

Supermarket life improved?Supermarket life improved?Supermarket life improved?Supermarket life improved?

Knowledge: a currency,Knowledge: a currency,Knowledge: a currency,Knowledge: a currency,

not a public good?not a public good?not a public good?not a public good?

EU turned in EU turned in EU turned in EU turned in an Innovation an Innovation an Innovation an Innovation Union?Union?Union?Union?

From lab From lab From lab From lab to to to to market faster, Faster, FASTER!market faster, Faster, FASTER!market faster, Faster, FASTER!market faster, Faster, FASTER!

“Horizon 2020 will also be more in tune with science’s role in society, so it

focuses on challenges we urgently need to address, like clean energy, recycling,

caring for the elderly, health care, food safety and our oceans: real things!”

Challenge-based approach: real things, not … imaginated!

“Getting close to real every day needs like these doesn’t mean basic research is

out in the cold. That’s the beauty of coupling science and innovation: it covers a

much wider range, from research to retail and all forms of blue-sky thinking and

innovative approach that make this possible”

Role of basic research: free but market oriented

And what about the “humanities”?

H2020 through the eyes of the

European Commission

Social sciences and the Humanities

…they don’t look like “real things” and are hardly innovation-oriented…

"Targeted socio-

economic research"

"Citizens and

governance in a

knowledge-based

society"

"Science and Society"

"Socio-economic

Sciences and the

Humanities"

"Science in Society"

"Europe in a changing

world – Inclusive,

innovative and

reflective societies"

"Science with and for

society"

"Improving the socio-

economic knowledge

base"

0,00%

0,50%

1,00%

1,50%

2,00%

2,50%

FP4 (1994-1998) FP5 (1998-2002) FP6 (2002-2006) FP7 (2007-2013) H2020 (2014-2020)

% o

f th

e t

ota

l F

P b

ud

ge

t

Framework ProgrammeSource: Framework Programmes establishing acts, Official Journal of the European Union (excepted for FP5: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp5/src/budget7.htm)

Social sciences and the Humanities

Role in past programmes (e.g. FP7, 2006)

“Generating an in-depth, shared understanding of the complex and interrelated socio-

economic challenges Europe is confronted with, such as growth, employment and

competitiveness, social cohesion, social, cultural and educational challenges in an

enlarged EU and sustainability, environmental challenges, demographic change,

migration and integration, quality of life and global interdependence, in particular with

the view to providing an improved knowledge base for policies in the fields concerned.”

“the dialogue between science and society in Europe should be intensified in order to

develop a science and research agenda that meets citizens' concerns, including by

fostering critical reflection, and is aimed at reinforcing public confidence in science.”

Social sciences and the Humanities

In H2020:

Full integration or dilution?Full integration or dilution?Full integration or dilution?Full integration or dilution?

Administrative (uncritical) social science?Administrative (uncritical) social science?Administrative (uncritical) social science?Administrative (uncritical) social science?

The machine is good, we just need … to oil the machine?The machine is good, we just need … to oil the machine?The machine is good, we just need … to oil the machine?The machine is good, we just need … to oil the machine?

Who sets the agenda?

FP6 (2002FP6 (2002FP6 (2002FP6 (2002----2006)2006)2006)2006) H2020 (2014H2020 (2014H2020 (2014H2020 (2014----2020)2020)2020)2020)

1. Focusing and integrating Community

research

2. Structuring the European Research

Area

3. Strengthening the foundations of the

European Research Area

1. Excellent science

2. Industrial leadership

3. Societal Challenges

4. Spreading excellence and widening

participation

5. Science with and for society

The evolution in Framework Programmes broad themes:

Responsible Research and Innovation(RRI) is the on-going process of aligning research and

innovation to the values, needs and expectations of societyvalues, needs and expectations of societyvalues, needs and expectations of societyvalues, needs and expectations of society

A paradigm shift: from knowledge to innovation A paradigm shift: from knowledge to innovation A paradigm shift: from knowledge to innovation A paradigm shift: from knowledge to innovation

in 3 stepsin 3 stepsin 3 stepsin 3 steps

“The Union has today set itself a new strategic goalnew strategic goalnew strategic goalnew strategic goal for the next decade: to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledgeknowledgeknowledgeknowledge basedbasedbasedbased economyeconomyeconomyeconomy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs

and greater social cohesion.”

Lisbon European Council, 2000Lisbon European Council, 2000Lisbon European Council, 2000Lisbon European Council, 2000

1. “The Group views Europe’s unsatisfactory growth performance during the last decades as a symptom of its failure to transform into an innovation-based economy.”

Sapir report, 2003Sapir report, 2003Sapir report, 2003Sapir report, 2003

2. “Europe has built a distinctive economic and social model that has combined productivity, social cohesion and a growing commitment to environmental sustainability. The Lisbon strategy, refocused on growth and

employment in the way this report suggests, offers Europe a new frontier for that economic and social model.”

KokKokKokKok Report, 2004Report, 2004Report, 2004Report, 2004

3. “This report presents a strategy to create an Innovative Europennovative Europennovative Europennovative Europe. Achieving this requires a combination of a market for innovative goods and services, focussed resources, new financial structures and mobility of people, money and organisations. Together these constitute a paradigm shift going well beyond the narrow domain of

R&D and innovation policy.”

AhoAhoAhoAho Report, 2006Report, 2006Report, 2006Report, 2006

A problem with Reports?

Step 1

1. The High 1. The High 1. The High 1. The High Level Level Level Level Group for the Sapir reportGroup for the Sapir reportGroup for the Sapir reportGroup for the Sapir report

(2002-3)

Labour, money, land (K.Polanyi) and knowledge

are just ‘fictitious commodities’!

A quick growth, but to what direction?

A problem with Reports?

Step 2

2. The High 2. The High 2. The High 2. The High Level Level Level Level Group for the Group for the Group for the Group for the KokKokKokKok report report report report (2003-4)

Kok (2004)

That’s what survives of Lisbon strategy

That’s what survives of Aarhus Convention

Cohesion & sustainability (just) for growth?

So what about the Lisbon strategy?

Quick, before it is too late!

What is the

knowledge-base?

Source: U. Muldur et al., A New Deal for an effective European Research Policy, Springer (2006)

CIA?

A problem with Reports?

Step 3

3. The High 3. The High 3. The High 3. The High Level Level Level Level Group for the Group for the Group for the Group for the AhoAhoAhoAho Report Report Report Report (2005-6):

Problem in the composition of “expert groups”: which (democratic) legitimacy?

A “cultural shift”, “before it’s too late”

“The problem is, however, that the Lisbon strategy has become too broad to be

understood as an interconnected narrative.

Lisbon is about everything and thus about nothing. Everybody is responsible and thus no

one. The end result of the strategy has sometimes been lost.

An ambitious and broad reform agenda needs a clear narrative, in order to be able to

communicate effectively about the need for it. So that everybody knows why it is being

done and can see the validity of the need to implement sometimes painful reforms. So

that everybody knows who is responsible.”

Kok Report, 2004

“Foster a cultural shift which celebrates innovation and a desire to possess innovative

goods and experience innovative services, such that Europe develops as a natural home

for innovators”

“Europe and its citizens should realise that their way of life is under threat but also that

the path to prosperity through research and innovation is open if large scale action is

taken now by their leaders before it is too late.”

Aho Report, 2006

All reports are equal, but some reports are

more equal than others…

“Innovation is indeed a vital policy issue for Europe. However, it should not just be about the more

and the faster the better. Directions of innovation also matterDirections of innovation also matterDirections of innovation also matterDirections of innovation also matter. Normative questions about

directions of innovation should be on today’s democratic and innovation policy agendas.”

“in the science and governance domain, these narratives and the imaginariesimaginariesimaginariesimaginaries they support urgently

need to be subjected to more critical, open reflection, especially in the light of the global economic,

scientific and political changes besetting early 21stcentury Europe.”

“The Aho Report (2006) calls for a “new pact for research and innovation”, and correctly observes

that “the 3% target [for R&D expenditure should be seen] as an indicator of an innovative Europe,

not as an end in itself.” We have gone a step further. It is an irrelevant and misleading indicator.

The real challenge is what Europe is going to do with such he real challenge is what Europe is going to do with such he real challenge is what Europe is going to do with such he real challenge is what Europe is going to do with such moneymoneymoneymoney”

Felt, Wynne et al., “Felt, Wynne et al., “Felt, Wynne et al., “Felt, Wynne et al., “TTTTaking European Knowledge Society seriously ”, 2006aking European Knowledge Society seriously ”, 2006aking European Knowledge Society seriously ”, 2006aking European Knowledge Society seriously ”, 2006

The European problem:

to provide an innovation-friendly market

A (brave?) new social structure

Imagery and politics

• Economy (and science) have been considered along the whole

European integration history two neutral groundsneutral groundsneutral groundsneutral grounds where to test

the member states’ wills to integrate.

• European identity is still not clear and the integration process is integration process is integration process is integration process is

still ongoingstill ongoingstill ongoingstill ongoing.

• Once again, in a period of crisis, shifting to “technical”

arguments (economic, scientific: “real things”) allows to avoid

the more complicated issue of soundly democratic political

choices: a democratic knowledgedemocratic knowledgedemocratic knowledgedemocratic knowledge----society.society.society.society.

1. How is it possible to maintain the European valuesvaluesvaluesvalues (which ones?) with a paradigm paradigm paradigm paradigm

changechangechangechange in the social structure social structure social structure social structure (towards what new one?): what legitimacylegitimacylegitimacylegitimacy?

2. The state of things he state of things he state of things he state of things and social innovationsocial innovationsocial innovationsocial innovation: inequalities, still fascism, nationalism,

racism, anti-Semitism, sexism etc.?

3. Someone was threateningthreateningthreateningthreatening us in 2005: who?

4. However, the magnificent and progressive fatemagnificent and progressive fatemagnificent and progressive fatemagnificent and progressive fate is (still) at hand: to whom?

5. Quicklyuicklyuicklyuickly, before it is too late, before it is too late, before it is too late, before it is too late: to whose watch?

6. European challenges stay within world challenges world challenges world challenges world challenges for our species: how can we

Europeans contribute to cope with them?

7. Knowledge as a currency (means) or as a human value, public goodpublic goodpublic goodpublic good (end)?

8. The role for European historyEuropean historyEuropean historyEuropean history: diversity is richness iff we can co-project a pretty new

future, otherwise … our disastrous past still stays in front of us.

9. Is science science science science as good asas good asas good asas good as we need?

10. What about the imaginaries of policy makersimaginaries of policy makersimaginaries of policy makersimaginaries of policy makers?

Georghiou (Nature, 2008)

Who sets grand challenges for Europeans? Who is society?

What does it mean friendly: compliant?

But introduce an adversative esitial in policies!

Really, is it so short the Horizon’s historical horizon?

Europe: science system & weak industry!

Poor science!

Present Editor in Chief of The Lancet

� sociologicalsociologicalsociologicalsociological imaginationimaginationimaginationimagination (Charles W. Mills): need to grasp ‘history and biography and the

relations between the two within society’. European history is also within the ‘longue durée’

(Fernand Braudel).

� quantophreniaquantophreniaquantophreniaquantophrenia (Pitirim Sorokin): existence of ‘fads and foibles’ within science as the

‘metrophrenic abracadabra’ (test, measure, control etc.).

� homohomohomohomo claususclaususclaususclausus (Norbert Elias): passage from ancients’ geocentricism to moderns’

egocentrism, and for lonely monads society simply ‘does not exist’.

� narcissismnarcissismnarcissismnarcissism (Christopher Lasch): A denial of the past, superficially progressive and optimistic,

proves on closer analysis to embody the despair of a society that cannot face the future

� medicalisationmedicalisationmedicalisationmedicalisation (Franck Furedi): obsession for standards facing a lively diversity makes a

growing number of pathology, and then calls for new ‘medicines’ and ‘doctors’. A growing

business for someone, a growing inequality (and suffer) for un-countable people, indeed.

All in all: how are All in all: how are All in all: how are All in all: how are we thinking our future?we thinking our future?we thinking our future?we thinking our future?

Conclusions

That taylorist, narcissist of Homo clausus

• Serialization (reductionismreductionismreductionismreductionism)– Emphasis on control

– One-objective for one-policy

– Anti-intellectualism (deeds, not words!)

– The bigger, the better

– Problem solving!

• U-chronism (shortermismshortermismshortermismshortermism back/for-ward)– The quicker, the better

– Time-to-market shorter than ever been dreamed

– A-historical view: hic at nunc

– Restoring the status-quo

• U-topism (objectivismobjectivismobjectivismobjectivism)– The one best way to problem-solving

– Homologation to the existing excellence (‘The one best way’)

– Where are socially placed the actors of problem-setting (Pierre Bourdieu)?

Therapy Culture:

Cultivating

Vulnerability

in an Uncertain Age

SociologySociologySociologySociology of of of of imageryimageryimageryimagery mattersmattersmattersmatters!!!!

Rita Giuffredi: Part of this research project has been supported by a Marie Curie Early

Initial Training Network of the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme

under contract number (PITN-GA-2011-289355-PicoSEC-MCNet). The views and

opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views

of the Network and/or of the European Commission.