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EGENIS seminar: "Testosterone Epistemologies: In search of epistemic systems through knowledge practices" Dr Sophie Juliane Veigl (University of Vienna)

Egenis seminar series

Testosterone is a quite charismatic molecule, used in many contexts for a variety of its effects, ranging from anti-aging and Alzheimer's research to muscle growth and virilisation. Many of these contexts lie outside of institutionalized science and medicine and are often use-based.


Event details

My project asks how these different sets of knowledge about testosterone relate to each other. What kinds of relations exist between use-based and instituionalized-medical knowledge communities when it comes to knowledge about testosterone? What are dependencies, and what are moments of resistance? This study is based on 24 interviews with medical practitioners prescribing testosterone as well as bodybuilders and transmasc testosterone users. I query how these knowledge communities differ with regards to their means of testosterone-related knowledge production, and their notions of expertise, competent knowers, and good evidence. I employ these results to develop an account of epistemic systems, that pays attention to variability within such systems when it comes to the question of what counts as knowledge production and is aware of differences in epistemic power within epistemic systems.

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Venue: Byrne House

Virtual: via Zoom