Is ‘Representation’ a Folk Term? Some Thoughts on a Theme in Science Studies

An influential strand within Science and Technology Studies (STS) rejects the idea that science produces representations referring to objects or processes exist independently of it. This radical ‘turn’ has been framed as ‘constructionist’, ‘nominalist’, more recently ‘ontological’. Its central argument is constructs enacts rather than represents. Since most practitioners believe it involves representation, an implication turn must be ‘representation’ a folk concept; perhaps even myth ideology. paper explores this anti-representationalism its implications for relationship between STS mainstream social science, in part through drawing parallels with ethnomethodology. 1