>
Exposed Science
Exposed Science
GENES, THE ENVIRONMENT,
AND THE POLITICS OF
POPULATION HEALTH
SARA SHOSTAK
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
BerkeleyLos AngelesLondon
University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University of California Press, Ltd.
London, England
© 2013 by The Regents of the University of California
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shostak, Sara.
Exposed science : genes, the environment, and the politics of population health/Sara Shostak.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-520-27517-1—ISBN 978-0-520-27518-8
eISBN: 9780520955240
1. Environmental health—Political aspects. 2. Pollution—Environmental aspects. 3. Health risk assessment. I. Title.
RA566.S56 2013
613'.1—dc232012035261
Manufactured in the United States of America
22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
In keeping with a commitment to support environmentally responsible and sustainable printing practices, UC Press has printed this book on Rolland Enviro100, a 100% post-consumer fiber paper that is FSC certified, deinked, processed chlorine-free, and manufactured with renewable biogas energy. It is acid-free and EcoLogo certified.
For my family, and especially for my mother,
Myra Shostak, of blessed memory.
“For love is strong as death . . .” (Song of Songs)
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1.“Toxicology Is a Political Science”
2.The Consensus Critique
3.Susceptible Bodies
4.“Opening the Black Box of the Human Body”
5.Making a Molecular Regulatory Science
6.The Molecular is Political
Conclusion
Afterword
Appendix A
Notes
Glossary
References
Index
Acknowledgments
Whenever I stop to consider how many people’s generosity, wisdom, and support have helped me bring this project to fruition, I am both awestruck and profoundly grateful. I hope that these acknowledgments go some small way toward expressing my appreciation.
To the respondents who participated in this research, I owe a great debt. The generosity with which many busy people met my requests for their time, their stories, their aspirations, and their insights made this research possible. Moreover, the passion, humor, and consideration expressed in these meetings made conducting the research a true pleasure. I am grateful to Richard Sharp, for bringing me into the Program in Environmental Health Ethics and Policy at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) as an intern in 2002, and to Ben Van Houten, who generously agreed to be my science mentor that summer.
The first round of data collection and analysis was guided by my wonderful dissertation advisor, Adele Clarke, to whom I am forever indebted for introducing me to science and technology studies (STS) and qualitative research methods; this project would not have happened without her. Meeting with Adele and the members of my committee—Howard Pinderhughes, Paul Rabinow, and Sharon Kaufman—was always both helpful and a delight. I am grateful for the guidance, friendship, and inspiration of each of these scholars.
The second round of data collection was facilitated by the DeWitt Stetten, Jr., Memorial Fellowship in the History of Biomedical Sciences and Technology at the Office of NIH History. In addition to the collegial environment of the Office of NIH History, I benefited tremendously from the opportunity to continue conducting interviews and observation at the NIEHS. I especially thank Kenneth Olden, Raymond Tennant, Samuel Wilson, and Mary Wolfe for their support of my fellowship.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJ) Health and Society Scholars Program at Columbia University was a transformative experience. I am a better—and braver—sociologist thanks to the mentorship of Peter Bearman. I learned important lessons about how to be an advocate for my ideas from Bruce Link. I am grateful to David Rosner, Ezra Susser, and Ruth Ottman, each of whom, in his or her own way, has helped me to better understand public health and to crystallize my commitment to it. I also thank Peter Bearman, Molly Martin, and Jeremy Freese for helping me “think with” genetics in new and productive ways.
Since 2006, I have had the great fortune to be on the faculty at Brandeis University. I thank my colleagues in sociology for their support and enthusiasm for my research and teaching. I am especially indebted to Peter Conrad for bringing to his role as my faculty mentor both wisdom and good cheer. Teaching the Approaches to Social Research proseminar with Wendy Cadge and David Cunningham has been a treat, as well as a valuable opportunity to think critically about knowledge production in the social sciences. I am grateful also to the faculty in the Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP) and Environmental Studies Programs for the opportunity to create innovative learning experiences at the intersection of disciplines. I consider myself extremely fortunate to teach and learn from the many wonderful students at Brandeis, whose commitments to social justice inspire and sustain my own.
I gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation Program in Science, Technology, and Society for a Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant. I am thankful also for generous funding from the UC Toxic Substances Research and Teaching Program, the UC Berkeley Program in Social Studies of Science and Technology,
