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The logic of strategic ignorance
1Department of Sociology, University of Essex, UK. lmcgoey@essex.ac.uk
The British Journal of Sociology
|September 7, 2012
Summary
This study reveals ignorance can be a valuable asset, not just a deficit. In areas like drug regulation, strategic ignorance helps organizations manage resources and liability.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Studies
- Sociology of Science
- Health Policy
Background:
- Traditional views posit knowledge as power and ignorance as a hindrance.
- This perspective is challenged by examining ignorance as a strategic resource.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how ignorance functions as a productive asset in organizational and political contexts.
- To analyze the role of ignorance in drug regulation, using the Ketek antibiotic case study.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of organizational and political arenas.
- Case study focusing on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) licensing of Ketek.
Main Results:
- Ignorance can enable individuals and institutions to command resources and deny liability.
- In drug regulation, actors strategically position themselves with minimal knowledge claims regarding drug efficacy and safety.
Conclusions:
- Ignorance is a valuable organizational resource, particularly in complex regulatory environments.
- The study offers new insights into the strategic use of knowledge and ignorance in regulatory decision-making.
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