Communication Quote by Clifford D. Conner
““ Technicians are triply invisible. First, they have traditionally been invisible to historians and sociologists of science. . . . Second, they have been largely, if not entirely, invisible in the formal documentary record produced by scientific practitioners. Even when one is committed to doing so, it is extremely difficult to retrieve information about who they were and what they did. Third, technicians have arguably been invisible as relevant actors to those persons in control of the workplaces in which scientific knowledge is produced. . . . Technicians have been “not there” in roughly the same sense that servants were, and were supposed to be, “not there” with respect to the conversations of Victorian domestic employers.””
About This Quote
Technicians have been historically overlooked in scientific narratives, documentation, and workplace acknowledgment, akin to invisible servants.
In simple terms: Scientists often ignore technicians’ contributions.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and document technicians’ roles.
Themes
science
history
invisibility
labor
recognition
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
communication:1
history:1
science:1
scientific knowledge:1
invisible historians:1
did technicians:1
technicians arguably:1
traditionally invisible:1
invisible traditionally:1
When to use this quote
- museum curation
- academic publishing
- organizational policy
Key Concepts
sociology of science
archival research
workplace equity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we make technicians visible?
- What records should capture their contributions?
A Different Perspective
Invisible labor can distort scientific history.
