The group politics approach to controversy analysis describes the closure of public
controversies involving scientific or technological issues as an interest group's triumph
over competing groups in the political arena. In contrast, the social construction of
technology (SCOT) model of closure maintains that closure occurs through the negotiation of a consensus regarding the form of an object and the corresponding elimination
of its interpretative flexibility. Drawing upon the "Alar scare" of 1989, this article
extends the SCOT model beyond the life of an object. This article argues that together,
the group politics and SCOT views of closure permit interest groups to continue to attach
divergent meanings to a controversial object even after it has been eliminated The
analysis suggests that such an object may provide interest groups with a powerful symbol
and an invaluable political resource.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Acuff, G.1989a. Media sensationalism creates pesticide panic. American Fruit Grower109 (4): 6-7,9.
2.
—. 1989b. Hammered by fracts. American Fruit Grower109 (9): 22.
3.
Ames, B.1989. Be most wary of nature's ownpeskicides. Consumers'Research72 (May): 13-14.
4.
Ames, B.N., and L.S. Gold.1989. Pesticides, risk, and applesauce [letter] . Science244:755-57.
5.
Auvil v. CBS, 800 R Supp. 941 (E.D. Wash. 1992).
6.
A ban on treated apples. 1986. New York Times , 27 July, 10.
7.
Bijker, W.E., T.P. Hughes, and T. Pinch.1987. Introduction to Part I. In The social construction of technological systems: New directions in the sociology and history of technology, edited by W. E. Bijker, T. P. Hughes, and T. Pinch, 9-15. Cambridge: MIT Press.
8.
Borrelli, P.1989. On food safety. The Amicus Journal11 (Spring): 6-9.
9.
CBSNews. 1989a. "A" is for apple . 60 Minutes Transcripts , 26 February, 10-14.
10.
—. 1989b. What about apples?60 Minutes Transcripts , 14 May, 2-8.
11.
Chinnici, M.1990. Terror at the table. Discover (January):74.
12.
Consumers' Union.1989a. Bad apples. Consumer Reports54:288-96.
13.
—. 1989b. Too much fuss about pesticides?Consumer Reports54:655-58.
14.
Coon, S.1991. Patience wears thin. American Fruit Grower111 (10): 14.
15.
Denne, L.1991. Apple commission won't join "60 Minutes" suit. Puget Sound Business Journal (21 January):9.
16.
Derr, D.I.1989a. Dealing with a crisis in confidence. American Fruit Grower109 (4):10, 33-34.
17.
—. 1989b. Apple industry sets strong position on Alar. American Fruit Grower109 (6): 10, 15.
18.
Egan, T.1991. Apple growers bruised and bitter after Alar scare . New York Times, 9 July, A1.
19.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).1984 . Special review of pesticide products containing daminozide . Federal Register49:29, 136-40.
20.
—. 1989a. EPA accelerates process to cancel daminozide uses on apples; Extends tolerances. Press release, 1 February. Washington, DC: EPA Office of Public Affairs.
21.
—. 1989b. Daminozide special review technical support document—Preliminary determination to cancel the food uses of daminozide. Washington, DC: EPA Office of Pesticide Programs and EPA Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances.
22.
Fishbein, G.1990. All about Alar: PR firm claims media victory while scientists fume. Science-Writers (Winter):6-9.
23.
Friedman, S.M., and C. Rogers.1991. Environmental risk reporting: The science and the coverage. Bethlehem, PA: Lehigh University Department of Journalism.
24.
Friedman, S.M., K. Villamil, R. Suriano, and B. Egolf.1991. Alar and apples: Newspaper coverage of a major risk issue. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication , Boston, August.
25.
Fruit growers pull commercials to protest report by CBS on Alar. 1989. New York Times, 9 May, 36.
26.
Gold, A.R.1989. Company ends use of apple chemical. New York Times, 18 October, A18.
27.
Groth, E. III.1989. Regulating pesticides in apples: What have we learned from the Alar experience? What lies ahead?Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the International Apple Institute, San Diego, June.
28.
Henry, S., and J. Thrall.1988. An apple a day. Technology Review91 (February/March): 12.
29.
How a PR firm executed the Alar scare. 1989. Wall Street Journal, 3 October, A22.
30.
International Apple Institute.1989. Why an apple a day is still healthy advice. Reprinted in American Fruit Grower109 (4): 14.
31.
Jasanoff, S.1986. Risk management and political culture. New York: Russell Sage.
32.
—. 1987. EPA's regulation of daminozide: Unscrambling the messages of risk Science, Technology, & Human Values12:116-24.
33.
—. 1990. The fifth branch: Science advisers as policymakers . Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
34.
Karlin, R.1992. Aresidue of Alar. Times Union (Albany, NY), 4 November, C1.
35.
Klaidman, S.1991. Health in the headlines: The stories behind the stories . New York: Oxford University Press .
36.
Koshland, D.E., Jr.1989. Scare of the weekScience244:9.
37.
—. 1991. Credibility in science and the press. Science254:629.
38.
Kurtz, H.1990. Dr. Whelan's media operation. Columbia Journalism Review28:43-47.
39.
Lacadie, J.A.1991. Letter to the editor. Issues in Science and Technology7 (Summer): 17-18.
40.
Lewenstein, B.1989. How (and why) the media cover uncertain food risks . New York's Food & Life Sciences Quarterly19:13-15.
41.
Marshall, E.1989. Science advisers need advice. Science245:20-21.
42.
—. 1991. A is for apple, Alar, and ... alarmist?Science154:20-22.
43.
Martin, B., and E. Richards.1994. Scientific knowledge, controversy, and public decision making. In Handbook ofscience and technology studies, edited by S. Jasanoff, G. E. Markle, J. C. Petersen , and T. Pinch, 506-26. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
44.
Moore, J.A.1989. Letter to the International Apple Institute, Washington, DC, 1 February.
45.
Nader v. EPA, 859 F. 2d 747 (9th Cir. 1988).
46.
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).1986. Chronology for daminozide. Unpublished document, San Francisco, CA.
47.
Nelkin, D.1984. Controversy; The politics of technical decisions . 2d ed. London: Sage .
48.
—. 1987. Selling science: How the press covers science and technology . New York: W. H. Freeman .
49.
Pinch, T., and W.E. Bijker.1987. The social construction of facts and artifacts. In The social construction of technological systems: New directions in the sociology and history of technology, edited by W. E. Bijker, T. P. Hughes, and T. Pinch, 17-50. Cambridge : MIT Press.
50.
PR Newswire Association, Inc. (PR Newswire).1992a. CBS news on verge of repeating 1989 mistake. PR Newswire, 10 February.
51.
—. 1992b. Alar, UDMH shown not to be carcinogens. PR Newswire, 19 February.
52.
Pratt, S.1991. 60 Minutes report on MSG triggers more debate. Chicago Tribune, 7 November, C3.
53.
Puzo, D.P.1990. Pesticide cancer risk downplayed. Los Angeles Times, 19 July, H2.
54.
Randolph, E.1989. NRDC experiment in news management crashes and burns. Science-Writers (Spring):7-8.
55.
Reynolds, B.1989. Reporting on risks: An irresponsible press can panic the public. USA Today, 15 May, 9A.
56.
Roberts, L.1989. Pesticides and kids. Science243:1280.
57.
Rosen, J.D.1990. Much ado about Alar. Issues in Science and Technology (Fall):85-90.
58.
Schank, R.C.1990. Tell me a story: A new look at real and artificial memory . New York: Scribner.
59.
Sewell, B.H., and R.M. Whyatt.1989. Intolerable risk: Pesticides in our children's food. San Francisco, CA: Natural Resources Defense Council.
60.
Shabecoff, P.1989. Apple industry says it will end use of chemical . New York Times, 16 May, A1.
61.
Shimskey, D.S.1989. Cracking under scrutiny. American Fruit Grower109 (5): 6-8.
62.
Tweedy, B. G., H. J. Disburger , L. G. Ballantine, and J. McCarthy, eds. 1991. Pesticide residues andfood safety: A harvest of viewpoints. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society.
63.
United Press International (UPI).1990. Apple growers to sue perpetrators of "Alar scare." UPI, 23 November.
64.
U.S. Congress. House of Representatives.1989 . Committee on Agriculture. Pesticide regulatory reform amendments of 1989 and the Food Safety Assurance Act of 1989. 101st Cong., 1st sess.
65.
U.S. Newswire.1992. Children are safer with Alar off the market, NRDC contends. U.S. Newswire , 26 February.
66.
U.S. Senate.1989. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Chemicals and food crops. 101st Cong., 1st sess.
67.
Warren, J.1989. How "media stampede" spread apple panic. Chicago Tribune, 26 March, A1.
68.
Weisskopf, M.1990. From fringe to political mainstream: Environmentalists set policy agenda. Washington Post, 19 April, A1.
69.
Who's afraid of peanut butter?1992. Washington Times, 2 March, E2.
70.
Wilkinson, C.F.1990. Lessons from Alar. Priorities (Winter):29-30.
71.
Williams, B.1990. Neodruid counteroffensive. Oil & Gas Journal (10 December):11.
