Object Lessons.

Singleton, D. V. and Law, J. (2005) Object Lessons. Organization, 12 (3). pp. 331-355. ISSN 1461-7323

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Abstract

During research on the management of alcoholic liver disease the authors found that it was difficult to keep the condition in focus through the course of the study. Perhaps this was a sign of methodological failure, but this paper explores an alternative possibility: that social science methods are ill adapted for the study of complex and messy objects. The paper reviews arguments about the character of complex objects as these have been recently elaborated within science, technology and society (STS), and applies these to alcoholic liver disease. Three versions of the object (as region, network and fluid) are found to be relevant. But so, too, is a fourth, fire version, which treats objects as patterns of discontinuity between absence and presence. It is argued that the messiness of alcoholic liver disease in part becomes comprehensible if we imagine it as a fire object.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Organization
Additional Information:
RAE_import_type : Journal article RAE_uoa_type : Sociology
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1400/1400
Subjects:
?? actor network theory • alcoholic liver disease • fire • fluidity • health • objects • spatiality • topologygeneral business,management and accountingstrategy and managementmanagement of technology and innovationbusiness, management and accounting(all)hm s ??
ID Code:
3491
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
13 Mar 2008 16:26
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
16 Jul 2024 08:40