Article
French
ID: <
10670/1.sl88ce>
Abstract
Instrumentation plays a decisive role in the production of scientific knowledge and its differentiation from lay knowledge. What happens when it is used to produce the latter? This article presents such a situation where electro-hypersensitive laymen resort to measuring devices to understand their illness. To assess whether this alters their knowledge, I study the reasons for their use (to accept and characterize their sensitivity, protect themselves from exposure and justify themselves) along with the problems it causes (to interpret results, neutralize potential inconsistencies and stem anxiety). I observe that EMS measuring devices are gradually abandoned because of the uncertainty they foster. I argue that they contribute to making EHS persons’ knowledge more radical and technical rather than more scientific.