Dissertation Support: Sociology of Alternative Knowledge of AIDS in the U.S. and England.

9411787 Watts对人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）是艾滋病流行的主要原因这一公认观点的挑战来自生物科学领域的“异端”，以及学术界、作者和制度化科学之外的治疗组织。 这种反应的一部分可以归因于西方研究人员未能完全描述病毒的作用和推进有效的治疗方法。 本论文项目将试图提供一个更全面的解释，这种增加的生产和传播的替代知识的艾滋病流行。 本文的论点是，理解持不同政见者的政治组织和他们进入科学论坛和大众媒体的国家结构差异是必要的，以解释不同程度的持不同政见者在美国和英国成功地解构了“专家”话语和正统知识的流行病，并从事“艾滋病机构”的认真对话的原因（S）和治疗疾病以及有关该流行病的公共卫生政策的适当方向。本研究将1）探索美国和英国获得性免疫缺陷综合征和艾滋病的替代知识的网站和内容，2）解释不同政见者在每个国家传播其观点的论坛上的结构性差异。 在方法上，研究将涉及对持不同政见者的半结构化访谈，在第二届艾滋病替代大会和持不同政见者会议期间对持不同政见者的参与性观察，以及对持不同政见者出版物和媒体的档案研究。它将涉及分析个人、档案、录音带和录像带以及科学期刊中提出的不同政见。 将采访发表不同意见的媒体代表，以及为几家限制不同意见辩论的英美报纸工作的科学记者，以及试图限制不同意见者参加关于艾滋病的国际科学和医学论坛的人。 ***

9411787 Watts Challenges to the received view that the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) is the primary cause of the epidemic of AIDS have arisen from 'heretics' within the biosciences, and from academics, authors and treatment organizations outside of institutionalized science. Some of this response can be attributed to the failure of Western researchers to characterize the virus's action completely and to advance effective therapies. This dissertation project will seek to provide a more comprehensive explanation for this increase in the production and dissemination of alternative knowledge on the AIDS epidemic. The thesis is that understanding national structural differences in the political organization of dissidents and their access to scientific forums and the mass media is necessary to explain the different degrees to which dissidents in the United States and England have succeeded in deconstructing 'expert' discourse and orthodox knowledge on the epidemic and engaged the 'AIDS establishment' in serious dialogue on the cause(s) and treatment of the disease and the appropriate direction for public health policies regarding the epidemic. This research will 1) explore the sites and content of alternative knowledge on acquired immune-deficiency syndrome and AIDS in the United States and England, and 2) explain the structural differences in the access that dissidents have to forums for disseminating their views in each country. Methodologically, the research will involve semi- structured interviews with dissidents, participant observation of dissidents during the 2nd Alternative AIDS Conference and dissident meetings, and archival research on dissident publications and media. It will involve analysis of dissident claims as presented by individuals, in archives, audio and video-tapes, and science journals. Representatives of media who have aired dissident views as well as science reporters working for several English and U.S. newspapers who have restricted dissident debates will be interviewed, as will persons who have sought to limit dissident access to international scientific and medical forums on AIDS. ***