+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Posted Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:22:33
This message was forwarded through MEDSOCNEWS.
If you wish to make an announcement or publicise
an event then please send the text to:
[log in to unmask]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
*British Sociological Association*
*London Medical Sociology Group Meeting
Wednesday 9th January 6pm
Research Ethics Committees as Political Technologies of Trust
Adam Hedgecoe
University of Sussex*
*
Abstract
*Over the past few years criticisms have been levelled at Research
Ethics Committees that they stifle research as a knee-jerk response to
research scandals, presenting an unnecessary layer of regulation, or
that they are a version of 'audit culture' applied to clinical research.
Based on an ethnography of three RECs and drawing on concepts from the
history of science, specifically the work of Steve Shapin and Harry
Marks, this paper challenges these views of RECs and argues rather that
they should be seen as 'political technologies of trust', organisations
whose
role is to assess the trustworthiness of medical researchers both as
scientists and as fellow members of society, and in the process
demonstrate to the wider community the value and safety of medical
research. Such a view explains a number of features of REC practice,
such as the limited requirements for reporting once research has begun,
that do not fit with 'regulatory' or 'audit' models.
This paper explores a number of ways in which RECs assess applicants'
trustworthiness as they draw on local knowledge of applicants' skills
and work load, applicants' demeanour and attitude towards the committee
when they attend meetings and answer questions on their research, and
apply clinical expertise and lay-members' experience to applications.
*Venue*
King's College London
Franklin Wilkins Building
Room 1.16
Stamford Street
London SE1 8WA
nearest train/tube station: Waterloo
Everyone is welcome to attend the LMSG meeting. The group has no formal
membership.
**********************************************************************
1. For general enquires or problems with the list or to CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS send a message to:
[log in to unmask]
2. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example,
send an email to [log in to unmask] with the following message:
set medsocnews nomail
3. To resume email from the list, send the following message:
set medsocnews mail
4. To leave MedSocNews, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message (leave the subject line blank and do not include a signature):
leave medsocnews
5. To join or subscribe to MedSocNews, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message (leave the subject line blank and do not include a signature):
SUBSCRIBE medsocnews firstname lastname
6. Further information about the medsocnews discussion list (including
list archive and how to subscribe to or leave the list) can be found
at the list web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medsocnews.html
**********************************************************************
|