STS Reading Workshop
Friday, October 3, 2025, 9 am-1 pm
Mines Paris – PSL
60 Boulevard Saint-Michel 75006 Paris
Registration: Registration for this session is now closed.
The workshop will be held in French.
The workshop aims to provide a welcoming space for young researchers of all disciplinary backgrounds who are interested in the study of science and technology in France. The workshop offers a forum for discussion based on group readings, fundamental concept discussions, and STS writing practices.
The workshop is organized around two primary activities:
Collective Reading and Analysis (Exploration /Arpentage)
Most sessions involve exploring a reference text or recent publication in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS). This approach begins with dividing a book or collection of articles into equal parts to facilitate collective exploration. During the first part of the session, participants read and take notes on different topics, such as theoretical concepts and arguments, links to their research, empirical examples, and questions or points of confusion. In the second part of the session, these notes are shared to build a collective understanding and deepen the discussion around the text and key concepts in the field of STS.
Writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences
One to two sessions per year are dedicated to discussing scientific writing practices:
– Presenting research findings to respondents or peers.
– Writing an ethnographic text and constructing a scientific narrative.
Workshop #1
The first session of the workshop, organized in the form of an “Arpentage / Exploration”, will be devoted to a few selected chapters from the collective book
digitalSTS : A Field Guide for Science & Technology Studies
Janet Vertesi & David Ribes (Eds.)
Seminar Details
The seminar details are as follows (they will also be sent to participants by email):
– In-person in Paris at different locations to discover each other’s laboratories and universities
– Half-day sessions (four hours, including a snack break)
– Two types of sessions: Reading Workshop: Theory, Concepts, Methodology and Writing Workshop: Analysis, Writing, Fieldwork
– No work is required beforehand. Reading is done on site collectively using methods such as arpentage, which explains the extended duration of the sessions.
– A friendly atmosphere: we suggest sharing a meal after each session.
Workshop Organizers and Facilitators
Aurélien Béranger – PhD Candidate, Laboratoire Costech, Université de Technologie de Compiègne.
Email: aurelien.beranger@utc.fr
Alexia Pronesti – PhD Candidate, GSPR & Cermes3, EHESS.
Email: alexia.pronesti@ehess.fr
Solène Sarnowski – PhD Candidate, Centre de Sociologie de l’Innovation (CSI), Mines Paris & Télécom-Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, NOS.
Email: solene.sarnowski@minesparis.psl.eu
Dorian Groll – PhD Candidate, Centre Maurice Halbwachs, CAK.
Email: dorian.groll@ens.psl.eu
Learn more about the 2025-2026 Program for the seminar ‘Arpentage & Écriture: STS Reading Workshop’.