Doctoral Dissertation Research: Science and the Politics of Representation in Contemporary U.S. Social Movements

这项拟议中的研究考察了美国社会运动如何利用科学来论证其立场。为了回应批评，该运动的特权的利益，一组行动者对另一组，以及法律和政策的变化，许多团体采取了不同的策略，并开始寻求科学证据，以支持其新的立场。这种策略上的转变导致了支持和反对这种医疗干预的运动中出现了新的参与方式，并涉及到包括科学家、联邦机构和专业组织在内的各种因素。这项研究将借鉴相关科学出版物、新闻媒体和活动家制作的文件的内容分析，以及对政治集会的观察和对辩论中关键人物的采访。这些数据将为分析社会运动策略的变化提供信息，并评估这些关于女性健康负面后果的新论点可以告诉我们20世纪末和21世纪初美国的社会运动。本文试图了解以下问题：如何以及为什么在美国的辩论改变了？为什么这些运动中的参与者认为科学论证很重要？ 这些论点是在什么情况下出现的，在多大程度上得到了采纳？政府机构和专业组织如何应对在这一特定案例研究中使用科学？这种战术上的转变如何适应美国更大运动的目标和战略？ 这项研究将有助于对科学和社会运动的研究，以及在科学和技术研究，如争议，可信度和专业知识解决关注的话题更大的机构。此外，这项研究可能有助于有关性、生殖和健康的政策决定。

The proposed research examines how an American social movement uses science to argue its position. In response to criticism that the movement privileged the interests of one set of actors over those of another set as well as to changes in law and policy, numerous groups adopted different tactics and began to seek scientific evidence to support its new position. This shift in tactics has led to new types of engagements in the movements for and against this medical intervention and has come to involve a variety of factors including scientists, federal agencies, and professional organizations.The study will draw on content analysis of relevant scientific publications, news media, and activist-produced documents as well as observations of political rallies and interviews with key actors in the debate. This data will inform an analysis of the changes in social movement tactics and an assessment of what these new arguments about the negative health consequences for women can tell us about social movements in the U.S. during the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. This dissertation seeks to understand the following questions: How and why has the debate in the United States changed? Why do actors within these movements see scientific arguments as important? Under what circumstances did these arguments emerge and to what extent have they been taken up? How have government institutions and professional organizations responded to the use of science in this particular case study? How does this shift in tactics fit into the goals and strategies of the larger movement in the U.S.? This research will contribute to a larger body of research on science and social movements as well as address topics of concern within Science and Technology Studies such as controversies, credibility, and expertise. Furthermore, the research may be useful in policy decisions regarding sexuality, reproduction, and health.