Science or Ignorance of Animal Welfare? A Case Study: Scientific Reports Published in Preparation for the First European Directive on Animal Welfare (1979-1980). Ducourant, S. Science, Technology, & Human Values, August, 2021. Publisher: SAGE Publications Inc
Paper doi abstract bibtex In 1979, the Council of the European Communities declared its intention to ban battery cages for laying hens; one year later, everything about the ban is forgotten. During this preparatory year (1979-1980), all that happened is the publication of scientific reports, that is, attempts at producing knowledge as a basis for and justification of the ban decision. This paper aims at understanding to what extent ignorance and doubt were produced instead. By examining the reports, I demonstrate that there are three interrelated levels of ignorance production: (1) the missions given by the Commission to scientists were ambiguous, (2) questions inherent to animal welfare sciences, such as the significant variability of their measures and results, lead to a systematic standardization, and (3) the battery cage works as a techno-scientific promise and an “obligatory passage point” where scientists and industry meet. Disciplinary identity issues therefore lead scientists to adopt a double standard about the welfare of laying hens.
@article{ducourant_science_2021,
title = {Science or {Ignorance} of {Animal} {Welfare}? {A} {Case} {Study}: {Scientific} {Reports} {Published} in {Preparation} for the {First} {European} {Directive} on {Animal} {Welfare} (1979-1980)},
issn = {0162-2439},
shorttitle = {Science or {Ignorance} of {Animal} {Welfare}?},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/01622439211040179},
doi = {10.1177/01622439211040179},
abstract = {In 1979, the Council of the European Communities declared its intention to ban battery cages for laying hens; one year later, everything about the ban is forgotten. During this preparatory year (1979-1980), all that happened is the publication of scientific reports, that is, attempts at producing knowledge as a basis for and justification of the ban decision. This paper aims at understanding to what extent ignorance and doubt were produced instead. By examining the reports, I demonstrate that there are three interrelated levels of ignorance production: (1) the missions given by the Commission to scientists were ambiguous, (2) questions inherent to animal welfare sciences, such as the significant variability of their measures and results, lead to a systematic standardization, and (3) the battery cage works as a techno-scientific promise and an “obligatory passage point” where scientists and industry meet. Disciplinary identity issues therefore lead scientists to adopt a double standard about the welfare of laying hens.},
language = {en},
urldate = {2021-09-29},
journal = {Science, Technology, \& Human Values},
author = {Ducourant, Samuel},
month = aug,
year = {2021},
note = {Publisher: SAGE Publications Inc},
keywords = {European directives, PRINTED (Fonds papier), agnotology, animal welfare, egg industry, production of ignorance},
pages = {01622439211040179},
}
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