Afterword: The Sites of Universalities: Ethnographic Engagements with/of Sciences

Abstract

How do we do an ethnography of universalities? Is it possible to reconcile local specifi cities with universalities through/in ethnography? That is the question the authors in this special issue ask and engage with. If ethnography is about specificities and specific locations, about contexts, how can we imagine an ethnography of ‘universals’? The question sounds simplistic at the first glance, but it becomes more complex as we address it in relation to the articles in this special issue. The topic is of importance since it reinforces the tension between universal truth claims and relative interpretations of the world through scientifi c reasoning. It has been exacerbated by media technologies. Political authorities who either have both feet firmly on the ground of scientific majority’s opinion or question it for their own benefit face resistance from globally networked communities. The old debate between mostly Marxist-positioned empiricism and postmodern relativism is taking a new turn in these digital times.