c-towns Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Or rather Dr. Sara Edge Congrat's on defending your thesis today for the degree Doctor of Philosophy through McMaster University's School of Geography and Earth Sciences. The world can always use more Scientists, I would know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak By Night Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Awesome! Congrats for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamilton Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Way to go Sara! You've been working at this for a long time... glad to hear that you've arrived at the other side!Hope to see you soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewRider Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Congratulations!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybone Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Dr Edge...pretty cool ring to it!!Many congrats, must feel really awesome. What was your thesis, if you don't mind me asking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Boy 2.0 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 hoorah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Congratulations! :thumbup:Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Congratulations on the successful defence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hartamophone Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) [color:orange]Heck yeah! Way to go, edger, very impressive. I majored in geography in undergrad, it's a fun corner of academia. Edited June 21, 2012 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edger Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Shucks. Thanks so much guys! It has been a challenging road juggling motherhood and health concerns and such but it has been an interesting ride that's for sure. I can honestly say that this board has been with me the whole way through. A welcome source of distraction, humour, company and grounding when it was very much needed. Happy to have this lifted off my shoulders so I can gear up for the next stage. Must say I can't WAIT to let 'er all hang at All Good. Hot damn... What was your thesis, if you don't mind me asking?TITLE: The socio-spatial construction and negotiation of knowledge, power and influence in the governance of environmental health risks from toxic chemicals in CanadaABSTRACT:Environmental health effects from chemicals are an example of risks associated with modern, industrialized, technologically advanced, capitalist society. In Canada approximately 23,000 substances have been in commercial use despite never being assessed for their risks to human health and the environment. The assessment, management and regulation of environmental health risks from “existing†chemical substances can be viewed as an emerging and contested domain of governance whereby an increasing number of diverse stakeholders are seeking to shape its constituent actors, rule systems, knowledge inputs, and orientation. Using a multi-method case-study of Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan, this thesis examines how governance and decision-making rationales, knowledge inputs, influence, and authority become constructed, negotiated and (de)legitimized in practice, and the role and significance of “space†in these processes. Sources of data include scientific, policy and legal documents, participant observation and key informant interviews. Findings reveal that stakeholders divergently interpret evidence and exploit scientific uncertainties using various tactics that (de)legitimize particular claims and policy prescriptions to favour their interests. This has significant implications for how “precaution†and “weight-of-evidence†are operationalized. The concepts of “scale-frames†and “boundary-work†reveal how stakeholders construct and spatially bound political and epistemic legitimacy and authority through contested definitions and rationales of accessibility, inclusion and exclusion. To gain the influence and legitimacy that is needed for effectively shaping environmental health policy stakeholders must (re)define the jurisdictional and epistemic spaces in which knowledge, evidence and rationales are created and institutionalized. Bringing contested modes of subject-making around expertise and technical capacity to the fore assists in explaining why particular forms of knowledge production and interpretations of evidence are adopted while others are downplayed. This in turn perpetuates particular kinds of risk assessment and management tools and approaches that benefit some and marginalize others. Scientific and political deliberations are situated within existing relationships of power and production between modern administative states, big industry and mega-science. Thus prevailing "governmentalities", logics and tools of chemical management are driven by, while mutually reinforcing broader neo-liberal political-economic ideals and interests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted June 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 You've blinded them with science Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edger Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I'm not a "scientist" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Johnson Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 scientician?Interesting abstract - congrats once again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-towns Posted June 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 I'm not a "scientist"I know, I've got that covered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Dispense pills? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phishtaper Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 PHOENIX!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phorbesie Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 whew, just that paragraph made me tired big congratulations dr. edge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blane Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Shucks. Thanks so much guys! It has been a challenging road juggling motherhood and health concerns and such but it has been an interesting ride that's for sure. I can honestly say that this board has been with me the whole way through. A welcome source of distraction, humour, company and grounding when it was very much needed. Happy to have this lifted off my shoulders so I can gear up for the next stage. Must say I can't WAIT to let 'er all hang at All Good. Hot damn... What was your thesis, if you don't mind me asking?TITLE: The socio-spatial construction and negotiation of knowledge, power and influence in the governance of environmental health risks from toxic chemicals in CanadaABSTRACT:Environmental health effects from chemicals are an example of risks associated with modern, industrialized, technologically advanced, capitalist society. In Canada approximately 23,000 substances have been in commercial use despite never being assessed for their risks to human health and the environment. The assessment, management and regulation of environmental health risks from “existing†chemical substances can be viewed as an emerging and contested domain of governance whereby an increasing number of diverse stakeholders are seeking to shape its constituent actors, rule systems, knowledge inputs, and orientation. Using a multi-method case-study of Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan, this thesis examines how governance and decision-making rationales, knowledge inputs, influence, and authority become constructed, negotiated and (de)legitimized in practice, and the role and significance of “space†in these processes. Sources of data include scientific, policy and legal documents, participant observation and key informant interviews. Findings reveal that stakeholders divergently interpret evidence and exploit scientific uncertainties using various tactics that (de)legitimize particular claims and policy prescriptions to favour their interests. This has significant implications for how “precaution†and “weight-of-evidence†are operationalized. The concepts of “scale-frames†and “boundary-work†reveal how stakeholders construct and spatially bound political and epistemic legitimacy and authority through contested definitions and rationales of accessibility, inclusion and exclusion. To gain the influence and legitimacy that is needed for effectively shaping environmental health policy stakeholders must (re)define the jurisdictional and epistemic spaces in which knowledge, evidence and rationales are created and institutionalized. Bringing contested modes of subject-making around expertise and technical capacity to the fore assists in explaining why particular forms of knowledge production and interpretations of evidence are adopted while others are downplayed. This in turn perpetuates particular kinds of risk assessment and management tools and approaches that benefit some and marginalize others. Scientific and political deliberations are situated within existing relationships of power and production between modern administative states, big industry and mega-science. Thus prevailing "governmentalities", logics and tools of chemical management are driven by, while mutually reinforcing broader neo-liberal political-economic ideals and interests. Congratulations! Interesting looking piece. A lot of overlap with the stuff I do actually, though I look at it from an international development perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarinGarage Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 HOOOOORRRRAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!! Congratulatoins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwa. Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) Congratulations! I forget how to embed here but watch this^^^ It's doctorific! Edited June 22, 2012 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorgnor Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Nice one Edger! And I would argue that you, me, and several others here, ARE scientists. We just aren't Positivists, or Fascists. Best of luck with whatever is next! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Zimmy Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Way to go! I hope that you get to have a relaxing and awesome summer after so much hard work. Congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigger Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Way to go Sarah. Be proud , you deserve it. Yeah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edger Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 Thanks again guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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