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On the verge between the scientific and the alternative : Swedish women’s claims about systemic side effects of the copper intrauterine device

Gunnarsson, Lena LU orcid and Wemrell, Maria LU orcid (2023) In Public Understanding of Science 32(2). p.175-189
Abstract
The article intervenes in discussions on lay knowledge production about health in the Internet era, through the case of a group of women claiming that their use of copper intrauterine devices has led to systemic side effects. Based on online group interviews and written essays, we examine how women embracing these knowledge claims navigate various sources of information, focusing on the role of scientificity in these epistemic negotiations. The women were found to be involved in an active, scientifically oriented process of knowledge formation, which we refer to as a collective labour of scientific patchworking. Meanwhile, due to a perceived lack of scientifically based expertise on their condition, the women reported having little choice... (More)
The article intervenes in discussions on lay knowledge production about health in the Internet era, through the case of a group of women claiming that their use of copper intrauterine devices has led to systemic side effects. Based on online group interviews and written essays, we examine how women embracing these knowledge claims navigate various sources of information, focusing on the role of scientificity in these epistemic negotiations. The women were found to be involved in an active, scientifically oriented process of knowledge formation, which we refer to as a collective labour of scientific patchworking. Meanwhile, due to a perceived lack of scientifically based expertise on their condition, the women reported having little choice but turn to resources with weaker scientific foothold. We argue that the tendency to portray these women's claims as unscientific simplifies the nature of lay knowledge production, potentially deepening divides between medical authorities and the public. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
copper intrauterine device, epistemic democracy, health activism, social media, women’s health
in
Public Understanding of Science
volume
32
issue
2
article number
9636625221107505
pages
175 - 189
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85135146739
  • pmid:35900002
ISSN
0963-6625
DOI
10.1177/09636625221107505
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9e233dfc-4fe4-4056-b59f-92ceaeb30c90
date added to LUP
2022-08-03 09:07:51
date last changed
2024-06-13 18:08:24
@article{9e233dfc-4fe4-4056-b59f-92ceaeb30c90,
  abstract     = {{The article intervenes in discussions on lay knowledge production about health in the Internet era, through the case of a group of women claiming that their use of copper intrauterine devices has led to systemic side effects. Based on online group interviews and written essays, we examine how women embracing these knowledge claims navigate various sources of information, focusing on the role of scientificity in these epistemic negotiations. The women were found to be involved in an active, scientifically oriented process of knowledge formation, which we refer to as a collective labour of scientific patchworking. Meanwhile, due to a perceived lack of scientifically based expertise on their condition, the women reported having little choice but turn to resources with weaker scientific foothold. We argue that the tendency to portray these women's claims as unscientific simplifies the nature of lay knowledge production, potentially deepening divides between medical authorities and the public.}},
  author       = {{Gunnarsson, Lena and Wemrell, Maria}},
  issn         = {{0963-6625}},
  keywords     = {{copper intrauterine device; epistemic democracy; health activism; social media; women’s health}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{175--189}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Public Understanding of Science}},
  title        = {{On the verge between the scientific and the alternative : Swedish women’s claims about systemic side effects of the copper intrauterine device}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/09636625221107505}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/09636625221107505}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}