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Trying times: domestication of healthcare technologies amidst challenging dynamic contexts

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Abstract

There are many cases where technology domestication can be a comfortable experience. For example, there can be convenient supply of well-functioning consumer products, which are domesticated successfully into stable settings that are familiar and pleasing. By contrast, domestication of other technologies can be an uncomfortable experience. For example, there can be inconvenient supply of diverse healthcare products, which are not domesticated successfully into dynamic settings that are unfamiliar and far from pleasing. In this paper, challenging contexts for the supply and domestication of healthcare technologies are analysed in order to further develop four major constructs of Domestication Theory: appropriation, objectification, incorporation, and conversion. This leads to the definition of continua for these constructs that encompass the best of times and worst of times for technology domestication. These continua are related to biosocial structure and biosocial agency.

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Fox, S. Trying times: domestication of healthcare technologies amidst challenging dynamic contexts. Soc Theory Health 17, 291–306 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41285-019-00107-y

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