BOUNDARIES, BELIEVERS AND BODIES

Ethnologist Helena Pettersson spent almost three years at the research studio Tools for Creativity in northern Sweden. In this study, she analyzes the construction of technology and research in a multidisciplinary research community producing research and prototypes in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The unique feature of this arena is that the entire staff is defined as “researchers”, despite the fact that only a handful of the employees are academically-trained. In the book, Pettersson highlights two themes of special interest. The first is the advanced, often expensive technology used and produced. Here, we learn the informants'' definition of technology and become acquainted with their values and visions vis- à-vis technology production. The second theme is research and how the informants at the studio interpret and negotiate the concepts of “research” and “researcher” in their attempts to produce innovative ICT solutions. Research cultures are constituted in accordance with power structures and gender.