Controversy and the Development of Reproductive Sciences

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Abstract
Under what conditions does an entire line of scientific work become controversial, and with what consequences? Nuclear physics, environmental studies, and sociobiology are familiar examples of controversial sciences. The case examined here is the development of American reproductive sciences over the past century, shaped by four domains of controversy: (1) association with sexuality and reproduction; (2) association with clinical quackery and hotly debated treatments; (3) association with controversial social movements; and (4) the capacity of reproductive sciences to create “Brave New Worlds.” Scientists' strategies for managing controversy are delineated.The framework used is arena analysis, and the paper concludes with rudiments of a conditional theory of status as a controversial “boundary world.”