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Political Science Science & Technology Policy

Delivering Policy

The Contested Politics of Assisted Reproductive Technologies in Canada

by (author) Francesca Scala

Publisher
UBC Press
Initial publish date
Feb 2019
Category
Science & Technology Policy, Health Policy, Infertility
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780774860123
    Publish Date
    Feb 2019
    List Price
    $125.00
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780774860093
    Publish Date
    Feb 2019
    List Price
    $89.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780774860109
    Publish Date
    Sep 2019
    List Price
    $32.95

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Description

Are assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) a medical issue or a matter of public policy, subject to restrictions? Francesca Scala employs the concept of boundary work to explain the protracted debates that ensued when Canada appointed a royal commission in 1989 to settle the issue. She reveals that both sides of the debate attempted to secure their position as authorities by challenging, defending, or blurring the boundaries between science and politics. This compelling account contributes to our understanding of the interaction between science and politics, the exercise of social control over science and technology, and the politics of expertise in policy making.

About the author

Francesca Scala is associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Concordia University.

Francesca Scala's profile page

Awards

  • Short-listed, Donald Smiley Prize, Canadian Political Science Association

Editorial Reviews

In Delivering Policy, Francesca Scala provides a comprehensive, fascinating and well-written study of the evolution of assisted reproductive technology policies in Canada. Through the concept of boundary work, Scala demonstrates how different actors – scientists, policy-makers, activists - have attempted to challenge, blur or reinforce the boundary between science and politics since the appointment of the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies in 1989. Weaving a detailed analysis of policy documents with engaging testimonies from participants in those debates, the book ultimately presents a nuanced and persuasive account of the impact of discursive strategies and the broader political and institutional contexts.

Prize Jury, 2020 Donald Smiley Prize