The Many Faces of RU486: Tales of Situated Knowledges and Technological Contestations Export

@article{citeulike:662425, abstract = {In the highly contentious abortion arena, the new oral abortifacient technology RU486 is one among many actors. This article offers an arena analysis of the heterogeneous constructions of RU486 by various actors, including scientists, pharmaceutical companies, medical groups, antiabortion groups, women's health movement groups, and others who have produced situated knowledges. Conceptually, we find not only that the identity of the nonhuman actor-RU486-is unstable and multiple but also that, in practice, there are other (previously invisible) implicated actors-the downstream users and consumers of the technology. If we try to follow all the actors, we find a fuller and more historicized arena, and, ironically, we too can be construed as implicated actors in it.}, author = {Clarke, Adele and Montini, Theresa}, citeulike-article-id = {662425}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/689700}, comment = {Argues for "arena analysis" as an alternative to Latour's approach of following the most powerful actor: "arena analysis attempts to view the constructed world metaphorically over the shoulders of all the actors" including those not present but "implicated by actions in that arena." Arena is equivalent to social world. On politics and STS: "The research act is consequential. By following a current controversy, we are feeding it. By following a historical one, we resurrect it, giving it new life. Relativism and reflexivity do not preempt advocacy or action on the part of those we study--or ourselves." (p. 69)}, journal = {Science, Technology, \& Human Values}, keywords = {politics, sts}, number = {1}, pages = {42--78}, posted-at = {2006-05-21 09:23:03}, priority = {0}, title = {The Many Faces of RU486: Tales of Situated Knowledges and Technological Contestations}, url = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/689700}, volume = {18}, year = {1993} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:662425 L3 - citeulike-article-id:662425 N2 - In the highly contentious abortion arena, the new oral abortifacient technology RU486 is one among many actors. This article offers an arena analysis of the heterogeneous constructions of RU486 by various actors, including scientists, pharmaceutical companies, medical groups, antiabortion groups, women's health movement groups, and others who have produced situated knowledges. Conceptually, we find not only that the identity of the nonhuman actor-RU486-is unstable and multiple but also that, in practice, there are other (previously invisible) implicated actors-the downstream users and consumers of the technology. If we try to follow all the actors, we find a fuller and more historicized arena, and, ironically, we too can be construed as implicated actors in it. IS - 1 JF - Science, Technology, & Human Values EP - 78 TI - The Many Faces of RU486: Tales of Situated Knowledges and Technological Contestations VL - 18 SP - 42 KW - politics KW - sts N1 - Argues for "arena analysis" as an alternative to Latour's approach of following the most powerful actor: "arena analysis attempts to view the constructed world metaphorically over the shoulders of all the actors" including those not present but "implicated by actions in that arena." Arena is equivalent to social world. On politics and STS: "The research act is consequential. By following a current controversy, we are feeding it. By following a historical one, we resurrect it, giving it new life. Relativism and reflexivity do not preempt advocacy or action on the part of those we study--or ourselves." (p. 69) AU - Clarke, Adele AU - Montini, Theresa PY - 1993/// UR - http://www.jstor.org/stable/689700 ER -