Sociology of the Planetary

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Katharina Block
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research ; Sociological Theory
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 524984234

The current interpretative sovereignty of knowledge produced by the Earth System Sciences in the perception of planetary states and socio-natural relations justifies the key position of this knowledge in the process of shaping socio-ecological relations. It thus requires a sociological examination of the knowledge production in the Earth System Sciences in order to render its underlying and primarily implicit assumptions visible. This has not been done so far and is to be accomplished within this project Sociology of the Planetary. The goal is to facilitate a nuanced description of the complex foundations of this knowledge. The project therefore aims at uncovering social norms, subjective convictions, ethical and moral concepts, and ontological ideas that influence the Earth System Sciences. In the highly technical production of planetary knowledge these presuppositions remain obscured, yet implicitly guide the production of knowledge in the field and thus contribute to the formation of scientific facts in the Earth System Sciences. The project thus understands itself as a contribution to the sociology of science and knowledge by offering new insights into the normative and axiomatic foundations of the knowledge crucial for negotiations of socio-ecological futures. Additionally, the project enables socio-theoretical debate in the field of socio-natural relations concerning epistemic and ontological foundations. Finally, the project offers the Earth System Sciences the opportunity to themselves reflect on the presuppositions implicit in their own field, and in turn, to incorporate this knowledge into further research. Methodologically, ethnographic observations of two case studies in the field of earth system sciences are planned. Dr. Robert Wagner (Head of the Marine Instrumentation Group, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW)) and Prof. Sinikka Lennartz (Biogeochemical Ocean Modeling Group, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Sea (ICBM) at the University of Oldenburg) were recruited as cooperation partners from the Earth System Sciences.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants