ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

HIV Activism in South Europe: A Historical Case of Epistemic Disobedience

• In Event: Whose Values Count? Political Commitments, Marginal Voices, and the Construction of Scientific Legitimacy

English Abstract

The emergence of HIV/AIDS in the early 1980s in the USA and the activism that sought to reshape medical research about it, is a topic that has been documented thoroughly in fields like history of science, sociology and anthropology.

However, comparatively little is known about how similar developments unfolded in southern Europe. This paper aims to delineate the efforts of activist groups of that region, by examining the critiques they directed at biomedical research, critiques which interrogated prevailing evidential standards and value commitments of the medical community. This allows for identification of potential differences of approach regarding the strategies and methodologies aimed at achieving the same goal across different geographies. This comparison brings to light the varying responses of medical communities across countries, particularly in relation to debates on medical ethics —ranging from paternalistic models to emerging participatory ethics of care —highlighting how such shifts contributed to a more inclusive and responsive medical practice.

What makes this historical case a fruitful avenue of exploration concerns the showcasing of transformation of biomedical practice, by groups that do not have the relevant scientific or academic credentials and most importantly, are located at the margins of society. Their renegotiation contested the norms and value commitments of 20th century medical science, leading to the redefinition of scientific legitimacy, making this case a paradigmatic example of constructive epistemic disobedience that advanced both scientific rigor and social justice.

Author

• Antonis Efstratiou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens