Knowledge in the Wild - from Mad Cows to Alzheimer's: How Knowledge Mobilization Works

This paper presents analysis of interview data from a study of ‘knowledge mobilization’  as a social process. In doing so it contrasts concepts of ‘knowledge transfer’ with those of ‘knowledge mobilization’ which it sees as a non-linear and iterative process involving social organization, institutional cultures and human interactions.   It is based on interviews with researchers from two major science labs who are investigating the way in which misfolded proteins (i.e. prions) produce spongiform illness in animals (e.g. Mad Cow Disease, BSE, Chronic Wasting Disease) and spongiform-like illnesses in humans (e.g. Cruchfeld-Jacob Disease. Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS, Parkinson’s Disease).  The focus of this paper is not on the science per se, but on knowledge development and transition as social processes. On the one hand, it seeks to provide insight into the way that knowledge is developed and transmitted, as these processes are understood by the scientists who are directly involved in the process. On the other hand, it employs sociological perspectives related to networks, social capital, and new institutional analysis to provide a more systemic insight into the knowledge mobilization process.