Can We Look at Refused Knowledge Differently?

Recalling a number of epistemological debates deeply rooted within the STS tradition—such as those concerning the relationship between the researcher and who/what is analysed (positionality), the process through which every element in a network is continuously constituted (relationality), and the fact that when something is defined, its counterpart is also constituted (reciprocity)—this chapter supplies a general framework upon which all of the subsequent chapters are based. Thus, it discusses the substantive reasons behind the Refused Knowledge Communities (RKCs) notion in full. The chapter then elucidates the theoretical approach we deem best suited to studying the RKCs, i.e. an integration between the Social World Framework and some concepts developed by Actor-Network Theory, including discussing how and whether their cross-fertilisation is possible and useful in exploring the current challenges to science