[Invited Lecture Series] WHY, AND HOW, TO STUDY MICROBES IN SOCIAL SCIENCE?
This lecture explores the social study of microbes, highlighting their role in human and environmental health. It examines fermentation, antimicrobial resistance, and interdisciplinary research, offering insights into evolving scientific and societal perspectives.
Why, and How, to Study Microbes in Social Science?
Speaker: Dr. Salla Sariola
Professor of Sociology,
Director, Centre for the Social Study of Microbes,
University of Helsinki, Finland
Date & Time:
07 February 2025 | 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM IST
Location:
Online (Google Meet)
Click here to join the session
or use the link below:
https://meet.google.com/zqg-wdis-nwk
Synopsis
Microbes were discovered 130 years ago, but in the past 20 years, human-microbial relationships have rapidly changed. Developments in microbiome research have led to radically new understandings of the importance of microbes for human and more-than-human flourishing. With the advancement of scientific methods, we now realize how little we actually know about microbes - only 1% of environmental microbes have been identified.
Contrary to previous knowledge, modern society’s efforts to eliminate microbes through disinfection and antibiotics may be harmful to health in the long term. The extensive use of antibiotics has fueled antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a leading global health threat.
The social study of microbes is crucial because resistance and over-purity stem from the ways we interact with microbes. The increasing interest in microbial relations raises new questions for social science research. In this lecture, Dr. Sariola will discuss approaches to studying microbes in social sciences, illustrated with two case studies:
Ethnography of fermentation in Assam, India
Interdisciplinary research on antimicrobial resistance, integrating ethnographic research with microbiological sampling and metagenomic analysis
Programme Schedule:
7:00 PM - 7:10 PM: Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Dr. Thanuja M, Joint Secretary, INCAA7:10 PM - 7:15 PM: Chairperson Remarks
Prof. B.V. Sharma, Vice President, INCAA
(Director, Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India)7:15 PM - 8:00 PM: Keynote Lecture by Dr. Salla Sariola
Title: Why, and How, to Study Microbes in Social Science?8:00 PM - 8:20 PM: Q&A and Discussion
Open to all participants8:20 PM - 8:25 PM: Chairperson Concluding Remarks
Prof. B.V. Sharma, Vice President, INCAA8:25 PM - 8:30 PM: Vote of Thanks and Way Forward
Dr. Kasi Eswarappa, Joint Secretary, INCAA
About the Speaker
Dr. Salla Sariola is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Helsinki and Director of the Centre for the Social Study of Microbes in Helsinki. She is also the Sociology Principal Investigator at the Finnish Multidisciplinary Centre of Excellence of Antimicrobial Resistance Research.
Her research focuses on the social study of microbes, covering topics such as fermentation, changing scientific practices of microbiota research, antimicrobial resistance, and antibiotic use in countries including India, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Finland.