Discoursive practices and the formation of a scientific field: power and (pre)concepts in the field of genetics

• Autor(a) principal: Peci, Alketa
• Data de Publicação: 2003
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista de Administração Pública
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.fgv.br/rap/article/view/6731
• topic: discoursive practices; poststructuralism; pragmatism; power; gene action; philanthropic foundations.; práticas discursivas; pós-estruturalismo; pragmatismo; poder; ação genética; organizações filantrópicas.

This article analyzes the discoursive formation of a scientific field. The theoretical approach is based on Foucault’s notion of discoursive practices developed during the archeological period. It is argued that the main advantages of this approach are the end of dichotomies and dualities — so typical of structural thinking — and the recognition of an important dimension in the analysis of formative processes: power. In order to emphasize the circularityof social, political and scientific fields, the paper highlights the relevance of the eugenic discourse, gender and class  relationships, and economic and ideological power in the processes of formation of genetics as a new scientific field in the US during the late 1800s, early 1900s. The role of the organizations in this power field — the philanthropic foundations — is highlighted, as well as the power of the “gene action” metaphor not only in cognitive terms, but also in terms of legitimacy of genetics as a new scientific field.