Les signalements profanes de clusters de cancers : épidémiologie populaire et expertise en santé environnementale
Résumé
Lay reports of cancers clusters: popular epidemiology and expertise in environmental health
Lay reports of cancers clusters combine the perception of an abnormal frequency of cancerous pathologies by a population, the incrimination of industrial facilities in these pathologies, and the report to health authorities
for scientific investigations and control of health risks. Generally, the existence of a cluster is not validated by epidemiological investigation. The population is therefore led to develop its own knowledge of the health problem through a process that, following Phil Brown, we qualify as popular epidemiology.
The article utilizes the ethnographic study of three reports of clusters in France (Saint-Cyr-l'École, Vincennes, Nivillac) to analyze this popular epidemiology, its claims to expertise, and its social and cultural foundations.
Lay reports of cancers clusters combine the perception of an abnormal frequency of cancerous pathologies by a population, the incrimination of industrial facilities in these pathologies, and the report to health authorities
for scientific investigations and control of health risks. Generally, the existence of a cluster is not validated by epidemiological investigation. The population is therefore led to develop its own knowledge of the health problem through a process that, following Phil Brown, we qualify as popular epidemiology.
The article utilizes the ethnographic study of three reports of clusters in France (Saint-Cyr-l'École, Vincennes, Nivillac) to analyze this popular epidemiology, its claims to expertise, and its social and cultural foundations.
Les signalements profanes de clusters de cancers combinent la perception d'une fréquence inhabituelle de pathologies de type cancéreux par une population, l'incrimination d'installations industrielles dans ces pathologies et le signalement auprès des autorités de santé pour entreprendre des études scientifiques et des actions de contrôle des risques de santé. Le plus souvent, la perception d'un cluster n'est pas validée par la recherche épidémiologique. La population est alors conduite à développer sa connaissance du problème de santé au travers d'une démarche qu'on qualifie, à la suite de Phil Brown, d'épidémiologie populaire.L'article s'appuie sur l'ethnographie de trois signalements de clusters (Saint-Cyr-l'École, Vincennes et Nivillac) pour analyser cette épidémiologie populaire, sa revendication à l'expertise et son ancrage social et culturel.
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