Gwendolyn Blue
Positions
Professor
Professor
Contact information
Background
Educational Background
B.S. Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, 1989
Doctor of Philosophy Cultural Studies, University of North Carolina, 2006
M.A. Communication Studies, University of Calgary, 1999
Biography
I am a critical interpretive social scientist who conducts research on environmental governance, public science, and participatory practice. I focus primarily on symbolic and epistemic politics (e.g. how issues are represented, whose expertise counts, which values matter), and how these politics influence participatory engagement across issues such as climate change, genomics, and zoonotic disease. I am particularly interested in identifying the assumptions, values, and contexts that ‘open up’ and ‘close down’ inclusive engagement. My research traverses science, politics, and communication. Research goals are oriented toward promoting inclusive engagement with public issues that involve science and technology, including efforts to extend the 'demos' of liberal democracy beyond human-centered approaches.
Research
Areas of Research
This research seeks to better understand the institutional factors that support and inhibit inclusive engagement with genomic innovations. Emerging applications of genomics, such as genomic selection and gene editing, offer many benefits for addressing interrelated environment and health challenges. Genomics also introduces potential risks and uncertainties. Sustained and inclusive public deliberation and critical reflection can help identify and mitigate potential harms in advance of implementation, and are key aspects of responsible governance. Research affiliations include NSERC-Create program Gene Editing for Food Security and Environmental Sustainability (GEFSES). I am currently a member of the Canadian Council of Academies Expert Panel on Gene Editing for Pest Control.
Recent publications include:
- Expectations of genomic selection for forestry: Expert narratives of anticipation and legitimation. Science as Culture (2022). With D. Davidson and K. Myles. (Funding: Genome Alberta)
- Co-producing uncertainty in public science: The case of genomic selection in forestry. Public Understanding of Science (2021). With D. Davidson. (Funding: Genome Alberta)
- Genomic trans-biopolitics: Why more-than-human geography is critical amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Dialogues in Human Geography (2020). With M.Rock.
This research situates the assessment of inclusive public engagement within an environmental justice framework. The goal is to highlight how dynamics of power and privilege influence who engages, whose perspectives are considered legitimate, and on what terms. This justice framework was first developed to extend Sherry Arnstein's influential 'ladder of participation' to address issues of procedural justice, cultural recognition and economic redistribution, applied to areas such as climate change, digital urban technologies, and impact assessments. Select publications include:
- From the smart city to urban justice in a digital age. City (2022). With M. Rosol
- Beyond participation and distribution: a scoping review to advance a comprehensive justice framework for impact assessment. Environmental Impact Assessment Review (2021) With K. Bronson and A. Lajoie-O'Malley. (Funding: SSHRC)
- Justice as parity of participation: Enhancing Arnstein’s ladder through Fraser’s justice framework. Journal of American Planning Association (2019). With M. Rosol and V. Fast.
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Courses
| Course number | Course title | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| SCIE 403 | Science in Society | Fall 2022 |
Publications
More Information
I am currently Graduate Program Director for the Department of Geography at the University of Calgary.
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