Journal of Science and Technology Studies (과학기술학연구)

Korean Association of Science and Technology Studies (한국과학기술학회)
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A Perspective of Science and Technology Studies (STS) for Economy: the Performativity Thesis

과학기술학(STS)이 경제현상을 바라보는 방식: 수행성 테제를 중심으로

  • 김병수 (서울대학교 과학사 및 과학철학 협동과정)
  • Received : 2017.10.30
  • Accepted : 2017.12.10
  • Published : 2017.12.30
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Abstract

In this paper, I focus on the performativity thesis introduced and developed by Science and Technology Studies (STS) scholars such as Callon, MacKenzie, etc. since the mid 1990s. The performativity thesis was discussed in economic sociology by STS scholars has been pervaded to other research areas including general economics, accounting, finance and so on. The main idea of the thesis is that economic theories perform, shape, and format economy rather than just describe economy. I show that the thesis is based on the traditional STS ideas such as performativity derived from Merton's self-fulfilling prophecy and the actor-network theory. Although the thesis has been criticised by various researchers from both inside and outside STS, it has provided meaningful implications for understanding economic phenomenon from a viewpoint of STS. Furthermore, reflexive researches for performativity of STS theories can be discussed in the next stage.

이 논문은 1990년대 중반 이후 깔롱(Callon), 맥켄지(MacKenzie) 등을 주축으로 논의된 '수행성 테제'(performativity thesis)에 대한 개념과 사례 및 함의를 살펴보는 것을 목적으로 한다. 과학기술학(STS) 학자들에 의해 주창되고 발전된 수행성 테제는 경제사회학 분야에서 주로 논의되었으나, 최근에는 일반 경제학, 회계학 등 다른 연구분야에도 확산되어 논의되고 있다. 수행성 테제의 핵심 주장은 '경제학 이론이 경제를 수행적으로 구성한다'는 것으로, 시장 참여자나 경제학자가 아닌 '이론'에 행위능력을 적극적으로 부여하는 것이다. 이 논문은 수행성 테제의 개념적 기원이 기존의 다른 분과학문뿐 아니라 STS 연구의 연장선 상에 놓여 있다고 본다. 특히 일견 단절적으로 보이는 머튼(Merton)의 '자기 실현적 예언'에서 파생한 수행성 개념과 행위자-연결망 이론(ANT)의 지적 전통을 강조한다. 수행성 연구 프로그램은 ANT 논쟁의 새 버전으로 비견될 정도로 STS 내외로부터 많은 비판을 받았음에도 불구하고, 전통적인 과학기술 분야로부터 경제와 시장으로 연구대상을 확장하고, STS의 독특한 시각으로 경제와 시장을 해석하고 기술했다는 측면에서 의의가 있다.

Keywords

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