When MPs met brainies. A comparative analysis of parliamentarian dispositives towards social sciences produced knowledge (UK, Germany, France)

Whether in France, Germany or the United Kingdom, recent statements by politicians and MPs reflect the problematization of social sciences research and knowledge production activities (Boltanski 2009). Indeed, Wester political classes are wading through buzzwords and political formulas related to (critical) social sciences: ‘islamogauchisme’, ‘Wissenschaftsfreiheit’ or ‘cancel culture’, to name but a few. These parliamentary discourses are to be taken seriously (Galembert et al. 2014), because they are not only used to deliberate but also to decide, and thus to norm and control (Steiner et al. 2004). What kind of formal structures of knowledge exchange and discursive registers (Bakhtine 1984) do Parliaments precisely develop to address democratic challenges? This proposal dwells on the dispositives (Foucault 1972) such institutions are implementing to explore the societal impact of social sciences. Using the Assemblée Nationale, the Bundestag and the UK Parliament as case studies, I will try to understand whether and how social sciences produced knowledge has been used in the last decade legislative processes by looking closer at the inception - and justification - of specific social science advice structures in the three above-mentioned assemblies, such as the Social Science Section in the British Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.