Background and activities

Knut H. Sørensen is Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture, NTNU. He graduated from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1976 (M. Sc. in Applied Physics) and received his PhD (Organization Studies) from the Institute in 1982. He has been a research scientist in SINTEF (1976-1980, 1986-1988) and a post-doctoral fellow at Department of sociology and political science, NTNU (1983-1986). From 1989, Sørensen was director of NTNU’s Centre for technology and society, which he founded together with Håkon With Andersen. In 1993, he became Professor at Department of Sociology and Political Science, NTNU. From 1999, he has been Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture. Sørensen was Visiting scholar at MIT in 1983, Visiting Professor at University of California, San Diego in 1996 and Visiting Scholar at Stanford University throughout 2009 and at UCLA, Institute for the Environment and Sustainability throughout 2017..

Currently, a main focus of Sørensen’s research is the study of sustainability transitions. This includes a particular interest in policy-making with respect to environmentally friendly energy and public engagement issues related to the development of energy citizenship and the improvement of energy dialogues. Science and technology communication is also an important part of these concerns. Sørensen pursues this interest in particular through CenSES – Centre for Sustainable Energy Studies (http://www.ntnu.edu/censes). This is a national research centre supported by Research Council of Norway (http://www.forskningsradet.no/prognett-energisenter/Home_page/1222932140849).

Sørensen is also with two other important research issues. One is the gender balance among university professors through the project Gender Equality from Below (https://www.ntnu.edu/genderbalance). The other is related to the policy concern Responsible Research and Innovation, where Sørensen is involved in a study of biomedical and nano scientists https://www.ntnu.edu/performe). Other research interests include social studies of ICT and the Internet, of innovation and technology policy, of gender, science and technology, and of interdisciplinarity. Sørensen has for a long time had active interdisciplinary research collaboration with faculty and research scientists in engineering and architecture across NTNU and SINTEF.

Sørensen has managed more than 30 projects funded by Norwegian research councils and been national co-PI of 8 EU-funded projects. He has been author/co-author/editor/co-editor 10 books, has published 34 papers in refereed journals, and 38 book chapters in academic edited collections. His most cited work is Making technology our own: domesticating technology into everyday life (with Merete Lie, Scandinavian University Press, 1996, GS citations: 738).

Supervision

Sørensen has been main or co-supervisor of 50 PhD-candidates who successfully have completed their doctorates and is main or co-supervisor of 5 active PhD-candidates.

Professional positions

  • Chair of the Norwegian council of science and technology studies
  • Editorial Advisory Board, Social Studies of Science
  • Editorial Board, Nordic Journal of Science and Technology Studies

Publications

See https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Knut_Sorensen2

https://scholar.google.no/citations?user=_kP2fwcAAAAJ&hl=en

https://ntnu-no.academia.edu/KnutS%C3%B8rensen

Scientific, academic and artistic work

Displaying a selection of activities. See all publications in the database

Journal publications

Books

  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan; Faulkner, Wendy; Rommes, Els. (2011) Technologies of Inclusion. Gender in the Information Society. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. 2011. ISBN 9788251928465.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan; Gansmo, Helen Jøsok; Lagesen, Vivian Anette; Amdahl, Eva. (2008) Faglighet og tverrfaglighet i den nye kunnskapsøkonomien. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. 2008. ISBN 978-82-519-2339-2.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan; Gansmo, Helen Jøsok; Lagesen, Vivian Anette; Amdahl, Eva. (2008) Vitenskap som dialog - kunnskap i bevegelse. Tverrfaglighet og kunnskapskulturer i forskning. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. 2008. ISBN 978-82-519-2338-5.
  • Aschehoug, Øyvind; Sørensen, Knut Holtan; Hestnes, Anne Grete; Novakovic, Vojislav; Matusiak, Barbara; Ryghaug, Marianne; Aune, Margrethe; Berker, Thomas; Stene, Jørn; Bye, Robert. (2007) Smarte energieffektive bygninger. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. 2007. ISBN 978-82-519-2237-1.
  • Aune, Margrethe; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2007) Mellom klima og komfort - utfordringer for en bærekraftig energiutvikling. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. 2007. ISBN 978-82-519-2276-0.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan; Williams, Robin. (2002) Shaping Technology, Guiding Policy: Concepts, Spaces, & Tools. 2002. ISBN 1-84064-649-7.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (1999) Similar concerns, different styles? Technology studies in Europe. 1999. ISBN 92-828-7262-9.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (1998) The spectre of participation. Technology and work in a welf are state. 1998. ISBN 82-00-42309-3.
  • Dahl, Thomas; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (1997) Perspektiver på tvers : disiplin og tverrfaglighet på det m oderne forskningsuniversitetet. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. 1997. ISBN 82-519-1253-9.
  • Lie, Merete; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (1996) Making technology our own? : domesticating technology into everyday life. 1996.
  • Andersen, Håkon With; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (1992) Frankensteins dilemma - en bok om teknologi, miljø og verdier. 1992. ISBN 82-417-0060-1.

Part of book/report

  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2019) "Mas, mas, mas - over hele linja". Universitetskamp.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2016) Innovasjonspolitikk og nyskapningspraksiser. Det norske samfunn.
  • Åm, Heidrun; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2015) Preparing for new solar cells through integrated research: challenges in translating social robustness into the selection of materials. Practices of Innovation and Responsibility: insights from methods, governance and action.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan; Melby, Kari. (2011) Fra kunnskap til dyd? Om tverrfaglighet som kompetanseutfordring. Dannelse. Tenkning - modning - refleksjon.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2010) Det norske samfunn: Et innovasjonssystem?. Det norske samfunn.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2009) The role of social science in engineering. Philosophy of Technology and Engineering Sciences, Vol 9 av Handbook of Philosophy of Science.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2008) Aktørnettverksteori. Sosiologisk leksikon.
  • Levold, Nora; Spilker, Hendrik Storstein; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2007) Mot en ”elektronisk solidaritet". Kommunikasjonssamfunnet: Moral, praksis og digital teknologi.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan; Lagesen, Vivian Anette; Levold, Nora. (2007) Flytende profesjoner? Om organisering av kunnskap. Arbeid, kunnskap og sosial ulikhet.
  • Silverstone, Roger; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2005) Towards the 'Communication Society'. Media, Technology and Everyday Life in Europe.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2005) Domestication: The enactment of technology. Domestication of media and technology.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2005) Jakten på innovasjon: Fra nasjonsbygging til dot.com. Det norske samfunn.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2004) "Jishu Zhengce de Xin Jiangou" (Towards a New Architecture of Technology Policy). Jishu de Shehui Xinchebg (Social Shaping of Technology).
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan; Gansmo, Helen Jøsok; Lagesen, Vivian Anette. (2004) Kvantitet og kvalitet. Strategier for å løse "jenter og data"-problemet. Læring. Grunnbok i læring, teknologi og samfunn.
  • Gansmo, Helen Jøsok; Lagesen, Vivian Anette; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2003) Forget the hacker? A critical re-appraisal of Norwegian studies of gender and ICT. He, She and IT revisited. New Perspectives on Gender in the Information Society, ed. Merete Lie.
  • Spilker, Hendrik; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2003) Don't girls want to have fun? Designing multimedia for women. He, She and IT revisited. New Perspectives on Gender in the Information Society, ed. Merete Lie.
  • Spilker, Hendrik; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2002) Feminism for profit? Public and private gender politics in multimedia. Knut H. Sørensen & Robin Williams, eds: Shaping technology, guiding policy: Concepts, spaces and tools.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2002) Love, Duty and the S-Curve. An Overview of some current Literature on Gender and ICT. Digital divides and inclusion measures. A review of literature and statistical trends of gender and ICT, eds. Knut H. Sørensen & James Stewart.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2002) Providing, pushing and policing. Towards a new architecture of technology policy. Andrew Jamison & Harald Rohracher, eds: Technology studies & sustainable development.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2002) Tid for tverrfaglighet? Jakten på vennligsinnede spesialister. Forskning på tvers. Tverrfaglige forskningsprosjekter ved NTNU.
  • Aune, Margrethe; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2001) Teaching transformed? The appropriation of multimedia in education: The case of Norway. Social learning technologies. The introduction of multimedia in education.
  • Spilker, Hendrik; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2000) Feminism for profit? Gender politics in the Norwegian multimedia industry. Concepts, spaces, and tools: Recent developments in social shaping research.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (2000) Social shaping on the move?`On the policy relevance of the social shaping of technology perspective. Concepts, spaces and tools: Recent developments in social shaping research.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan; Aune, Margrethe; Hatling, Morten. (2000) Against linearity - On the Cultural Appropriation of Science and Technology. Between Understanding and Trust. The Public, Science and Technology.
  • Hatling, Morten; Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (1998) Social constructions of user participation. The spectre of participation. Technology and work in a welf are state.
  • Sørensen, Knut Holtan. (1998) A sociotechnical legacy? A note on trajectories and traditions in Norwegian research on technology and work. The spectre of participation. Technology and work in a welf are state.

Report/dissertation