Research “in the wild” and the shaping of new social identities

This article examines new forms of techno-science-society interactions, in which non-scientists work with scientists to produce and disseminate knowledge. The term “research in the wild” is coined to name a special version of this new phenomenon. The primary illustration for this new form of researc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Technology in society 2003-04, Vol.25 (2), p.193-204
Main Authors: Callon, M., Rabeharisoa, V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Genetics
Medical Research
Patients
Researcher Subject Relations
Scientific Knowledge
Social Identity
Technology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This article examines new forms of techno-science-society interactions, in which non-scientists work with scientists to produce and disseminate knowledge. The term “research in the wild” is coined to name a special version of this new phenomenon. The primary illustration for this new form of research is connected with the Association Française contra les Myopathies (AFM), the history of which is particularly suitable for exploring certain mechanisms at work in the co-production of scientific knowledge and social identities. The article first compares laboratory research with research in the wild, emphasizing patient interest in maintaining control over cooperation. It then notes the intimate interrelations between the construction of patient identities and the collective form of research in which they participate. Finally, it examines the role of genetics, both as it is integrated into the construction of the collective, and also into the production of mechanisms of exclusion—the reverse side of the constitution of a collective identity.
ISSN:0160-791X
1879-3274
DOI:10.1016/S0160-791X(03)00021-6