UNSPECIFIED (1994) ENROLLING THE CORE SET - THE CASE OF THE ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION CONTROVERSY. [Journal Item]

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

The notion of the 'core set' usually refers to that group of scientists involved in the eventual resolution of a given technical controversy. Drawing upon actor-network theory, we suggest that such core sets, especially at science/public interfaces, are, in fact, constituted from generalized agonistic sets which entail 'non-technical' issues - political, ethical, economic. Interview material with scientists who use animals in their research showed how they attempted to demarcate such a core set with their public critics. We consider how they constricted the core set by discursively demarcating the criteria for membership. These included 'rationality' and 'emotional authenticity'. Elaborating an Collins' use of 'core set', we suggest that these discourses indicate that scientists are potentially engaged in actively constituting a core set by setting out cultural criteria for membership. Contrary to the focus of actor-network theory upon 'definitive' enrolment, we found that scientists can also engage in characterizing suitable antagonists. As a supplement to both core set and enrolment, we suggest the concept of 'envelopment'.

Item Type:	Journal Item
Subjects:	Q Science
Journal or Publication Title:	SOCIAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE
Publisher:	SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
ISSN:	0306-3127
Date:	February 1994
Volume:	24
Number:	1
Number of Pages:	15
Page Range:	pp. 81-95
Publication Status:	Published
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/20765

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item