Sociology of Health Care and Actor-Network-Theory: Ethnography of Speech-Language Therapists Connecting Professional Knowledge and Ethics of Care

• Published in: The Japanese Journal of Health and Medical Sociology Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 15 - 25
• Main Authors: ITO, Hirotaka, ITO, Sayuri
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japanese Society of Health and Medical Sociology 31.07.2024; 日本保健医療社会学会
• Subjects: アクターネットワーク理論; ケア; 専門知; 批判; 言語聴覚士
• ISSN: 1343-0203; 2189-8642
• DOI: 10.18918/jshms.35.1_15

We argue that ethnography rooted in actor-network theory (ANT) has significance beyond general understanding for health sociology, seeking to transcend the subject/object dichotomy. Furthermore, we present our own practice. Initially, we discuss the characteristics of ANT-style ethnography of medical and care practices interwoven with various humans and objects, through four points: 1) depicting practices beyond the subject/object dichotomy, 2) elucidating co-existence of mobility/immobility and singularity/multiplicity 3) depicting care to association, and 4) “approaching critically”. Subsequenlty, in the latter section, we exemplify ANT-style ethnography on the practice of speech-language therapists who undertake both “professional knowledge” and “ethics of care,” to depict the significance of ANT-style ethnography as a critical approach for the dominant way of care rooted in biomedical professional knowledge.