Introduction: Manufacturing Knowledge at the Border of Science

This chapter describes the research context and justification for the book. It discusses the relevance of contemporary practices contesting scientific knowledge, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. It introduces the theoretical and methodological background adopted to understand how and under which conditions groups of people assign credibility and trust to knowledge claims located outside the established boundaries of science. In doing so, the chapter proposes an integrated perspective by intersecting the Social Worlds Framework with the major analytical standpoints developed by Actor-Network Theory in the field of science and technology studies. It then describes the content of the various chapters of the book and concludes with their relevance to understanding the ways individuals or groups of people question the legitimacy of science’s claim to define what nature and society are and how societies should be governed.