Laboratory of Citizenship Sciences (LSC), Italy

http://www.scienzecittadinanza.org/

LSC is an Italian private social research and training institute based in Rome.

LSC research activities, based on a sociological approach, are focused on the radical changes affecting the models of governance in contemporary societies, in which knowledge is a strategic factor of growth and development and where new forms of human agency are emerging. LSC research activities are oriented to produce new knowledge on the multiple linkages between society, science, environment and technology and to support policy makers in coping with the new societal context related to the development of information society, citizenship empowerment, etc.

Founded in 1993, LSC has worked in different fields such as quality of public services (participatory application of standards; quality participatory monitoring, services charters and participatory initiatives for services policy improvement, officials training in the public services, public service governance, particularly in health and Water Supply and Sanitation); science and technology, RRI (public engagement, ethical issues, gender, etc.), international cooperation, energy and environment, training of human resources and migration. LSC has also a significant and specific experience on the issue of measurement of (complex) social phenomena.  governance of research and societies. LSC is engaged in promoting a strong role of sociology within technology-driven research areas, also in the framework of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Mobilization and Mutual Learning (MML).

Part of the original LSC group come from an experience (in ‘80) of active involvement in the protection of citizenship rights, mainly in public services and working, among other, in civil defence (implementing one of the first large crowdsourcing actions on natural hazards mapping in Italy).