Doctoral Dissertation Research: Expert Knowledge of Nuclear Materials and the Development of Atomic Energy Agency Policies

在芝加哥大学（University of Chicago）的约瑟夫•马斯科（joseph Masco）的监督下，魏克塞尔布劳恩（Anna Weichselbraun）将对“全球核技术监管的唯一仲裁者”国际原子能机构（International Atomic Energy Agency）在合法性的产生和“技术独立性”的传播方面进行审查。制作和执行技术科学专业知识是这种独立性和相关官僚权威的核心，研究设计精心设计了问题，以探索这些活动领域及其记录轨迹。通过在国际原子能机构进行为期10个月的人种学研究，对150至200份文件进行语言分析，包括年度报告、保障声明、资料通告、大会文件和新闻稿，与成员面谈并对其建立协商一致意见的活动进行相互作用分析，共同调查团将确定并记录国际原子能机构工作人员在联合国及其成员国等理事机构之间取得内部技术-法律共识和国际政治共识的过程。这个项目处于文化人类学和科学技术研究的交叉点。这项跨学科研究将使人们更好地了解原子能机构在国际政治和政策中发挥的独特而有力的作用，并有助于对核工业及其监管提出细致入微的看法。研究结果将传播给实践者、政策制定者和学术界。

Under the supervision of Josephe Masco at the University of Chicago, Anna Weichselbraun will examine the International Atomic Energy Agency, the 'sole arbiter in the regulation of global nuclear technology,' in its production of legitimacy and communication of 'technical independence.' Making and performing technoscientific expertise lies at the heart of this independence and associated bureaucratic authority, and the research design carefully crafts its questions to probe those spheres of activity and their documentary trails. Through a 10-month ethnographic study at the International Atomic Energy Agency, a linguistic analysis of 150-200 documents including annual reports, safeguards statements, information circulars, general conference documents, and press releases, and interviews with members and interactional analysis of their consensus-building activities, the Co-PI will identify and document the processes whereby IAEA staff work to obtain internal techno-legal consensus and international political consensus among governing bodies like the UN and its member states.This project lies at the intersection of cultural anthropology and science and technology studies. This interdisciplinary research will produce a better understanding of the unique and powerful role the IAEA plays in international politics and policy and contribute a nuanced view into the nuclear industry and its regulation. The results will be disseminated to practitioner, policy, and academic audiences.