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Promissory identities: Sociotechnical representationsinnovation in regenerative medicine
- Source :
- Social sciencemedicine (1982). 174
- Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- The field of regenerative medicine (RM) is championed as a potential source of curative treatments and economic wealth, and initiatives have been launched in several countries to facilitate innovation within the field. As a way of examining the social dimensions of innovation within regenerative medicine, this paper explores the sociotechnical representations of RM technologies in the UK, and the tensions, affordances and complexities these representations present for actors within the field. Specifically, the paper uses the Science and Technology Studies-inspired notions of ‘technology identity’ and ‘development space’ to examine how particular technologies are framed and positioned by actors, and how these positionings subsequently shape innovation pathways. Four developing RM technologies are used as case studies: bioengineered tracheas; autologous chondrocyte implantation; T-cell therapies; and a ‘point-of-care’ cell preparation device. Using these case studies we argue that there are particular identity aspects that have powerful performative effects and provide momentum to innovation projects, and we argue that there are particular stakeholders in the UK RM landscape who appear to have considerable power in shaping these technology identities and thus innovation pathways.
- Subjects :
- RM
Health (social science)
Sociotechnical system
Health Personnel
Identity (social science)
Performative utterance
Bioengineering
Space (commercial competition)
HM
050905 science studies
HM0481
RA0418
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine
Health(social science)
Power (social and political)
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
History and Philosophy of Science
RA0001
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Sociology
Affordance
Qualitative Research
Field (Bourdieu)
05 social sciences
United Kingdom
Law
Engineering ethics
0509 other social sciences
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 18735347 and 02779536
- Volume :
- 174
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Social sciencemedicine (1982)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a9454de97be4fd17fc33e6a322d641ab