Naked Science is about contested domains and includes different science physics, molecular biology, primatology, immunology, ecology, medical environmental, mathematical and navigational domains. While the volume rests on the assumption that science is not autonomous, the book is distinguished by its global perspective. Examining knowledge systems within a planetary frame forces thinking about boundaries that silence or affect knowledge-building. Consideration of ethnoscience and technoscience research within a common framework is overdue for raising questions about deeply held beliefs and assumptions we all carry about scientific knowledge. We need a perspective on how to regard different science traditions because public controversies should not be about a glorified science or a despicable science.
Nader's current work focuses on how central dogmas are made and how they work in law, energy science, and anthropology. Harmony, Ideology_Injustice and Control in a Mountain Zapotec Village (1990) and The Life of the Law: Anthropological Projects (2002) indicate a wide range of interests in law that has moved from village sites into national and international arenas. Energy Choices in a Democratic Society (1980) is the initial work that has continued on in the area of energy and resources culminating in Naked Science_Anthropological Inquiry into Boundaries, Power, and Knowledge (1996). This work reflects a theoretical perspective that crosses disciplinary boundaries. Essays in Controlling Processees (1994, 1996, 2002) is ongoing work that attempts to synthesize contemporary work on power and control. Nader is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1995 the Law and Society Association awarded her the Kalven Prize for distinguished research on law and society.
I am giving this book my highest praise, but I confess that I only read what Laura Nader wrote. BUT what she read was insightful, intelligent, and also edgy...my favorite trio of descriptions for writing.