Jon_C_memo_5


 * Project Definition**
 * Working Title:** Epigenetic Landscaping
 * Keywords:** Epigenetics, knowledge production, experimental systems, fields, race and ethnicity, sociobiology [maybe not].


 * Data Sets:** Ethnographic interviews with epigeneticists at the Jirtle Lab at Duke University: ten semi-structured interviews with primary research staff, and twenty structured interviews with visiting scientists and students.

Ethnographic interviews with developmental biologists at RPI: five semi-structured interviews. There are 11 researchers on this topic at RPI. I will need to take a closer look at their publications, or do short structured interviews with all of them to determine whose work is relevant to my research questions. Developmental biology is not exactly epigenetics, but some of these researchers may be using an epigenetic frame to look at it.

Participant observation as a "visiting scientist" at the Jirtle Lab.

Discourse analysis of popular press, scientific papers, and press releases from epigenetic laboratories.


 * Social Theoretical Questions:** How do scientists perceive their role in the development of a new field? Whose politics are embedding themselves in epigenetics? What role does the mass media play in the development of epigenetics? How is epigenetic knowledge/expertise created (where does the "equipment" link up with its users)?


 * Research Questions:** How do epigeneticists take into account questions of race, ethnicity, and biological determinism? [This question might not take on primary importance, as I want to make this research project a little broader.] How does the process of knowledge production unfold in an epigenetic laboratory? How are these scientists picking research topics? What is the connection between epigenetics and genetics? How do these scientists synthesize notions of "culture" and "nature," in both laboratory practice and publication?


 * Why now?** Epigenetics is a field that is slowly developing its own expertise, and getting a lot of popular press attention. I think that there's going to be a boom of "products" from this research, and they are already starting to show themselves. There are cancer treatments that kill off cells by stripping their epigentic information, and "holistic" medicines (mostly vitamins) which claim to positively effect epigenetic traits in their users.


 * How Prepared?** I presented a paper about this subject with Ron at AAA two years ago, so the beginning steps of some questions in this project are complete (some discourse analysis/popular press research). I also have experience with laboratory work in biology and biochemistry, which enables me to do some unique research through participant observation in an epigenetics laboratory, and also understand the science that is being worked on (and not just be "an anthropologist visiting a laboratory"). I've been following epigenetics in the press for the last two years and have a decent list of articles.


 * Bias:** I'm skeptical about some of the rhetoric that scientists are using to describe their research, and I don't believe the hype. Racism, especially scientific racism disturbs me on a very deep level. I'm also a recovering biologist -- I really like science but don't like doing laboratory research. I'm afraid that epigenetics could turn out to be "more of the same," when compared to science that has come before it on the limen of nature and culture.


 * Fields of work:** Anthropology (social construction of race and ethnicity), STS (social justice, medicalization, knowledge production, expert formation)


 * Funders:** NSF, NIH, (maybe) Duke University if I am doing participant observation [I need to look into this as I get more entrenched in this project.]