看不見的半導體實驗室技術員： 科學研究中的兩種知識類型與其認識論政治

Invisible semiconductor laboratory technicians: two knowledge types in scientific research and their epistemic politics

陳柏廷(Po-Ting Chen)

指導教授 ： 林宗德

國立清華大學/人文社會學院/社會學研究所/碩士(2019年)

摘要

本研究為作者在一所國立大學的共用實驗室中，進行田野調查的成果。我跟隨該實驗室的半導體技術員，進入工作現場，在旁參與觀察。在研究的初始，我發現了一個矛盾現象，一方面，如同既有研究，我發現實驗室的多數成員皆認為技術員這份工作無價值，他/她們被視為科學家/實驗室的手腳(Lab’s hand)。但是在另一方面，我卻察覺技術員擁有某種特殊的知識與能力，研究生們依賴技術員在實作中的指導與建議。在這個矛盾中，浮現了本研究的謎題：「如果半導體技術員的工作內容有其重要性，為何在半導體實驗室成員的眼中會被認為沒有價值？」
在本論文中，我將依據田野所得的資料，試圖論證，半導體技術員的價值被實驗室成員過度貶低。他/她們在科學研究中扮演關鍵角色，而我們必須認可他/她們的實質重要性。本研究將從實質層次與象徵層次兩方面著手，嘗試回答謎題：
首先，在實質層次方面，我發現在科學研究中存在兩種不同類型的知識，兩者缺一不可，分別是「脈絡知識」(contextual knowledge)與「正規知識」(formal knowledge)，技術員擅長前者而不擅長後者。技術員運用「脈絡知識」與隨之而生的默會理解/整體感，他/她們在科學實驗現場，運用身體手藝與感官，解讀信號、配置物質，根據實際狀況臨機應變。他/她們並不是手腳，只是被動地接受科學家指令。
相較之下，研究人員較為擅長「正規知識」。正規知識具有三種成份：「符號/變項」、「理論」以及「科學推理」。科學研究的目的是探究「為什麼」(knowing why)，科學家透過「正規知識」達到此目的。他們利用理論與科學推理，把紛雜的物質世界轉變為各種抽象符號/變項，找出變項之間的關係，尋找事物背後運作的原理，建立一個融貫(coherent)的論證，講出一套完整的故事(whole story)。
這兩種知識類型在科學研究中都是不可或缺，兩者是互補、彼此增強的關係。一旦缺乏任何一種知識，科學研究不可能順利進行。
其次，我在象徵層次中，找出聯合實驗室中「能力評判」的標準，發現技術員被認為無價值的原因。實驗室的大多數成員認可「正規知識」，否定「脈絡知識」，技術員也依此標準，進而貶抑自己豐富的脈絡知識與技能，認為科學家從事的「動腦工作」才有價值，自己的工作只是無價值的「身體勞動」。
最後，依據這個能力評判標準，技術員的價值被過度低估，不符實情。雖然技術員缺乏「正規知識」，無法獨立完成科學研究。但是技術員運用「脈絡知識」，在科學實作現場，扮演著重要的「中間人」角色，填補理論與實作之間的斷裂。基於這個理由，我們必須重估技術員的價值，認可技術員在科學研究中的重要性。

關鍵字

半導體技術員 ； 脈絡知識 ； 正規知識 ； 默會知識 ； 認識論政治

並列摘要

This thesis is the end result of the field research from a common laboratory in a Na¬tional University. I followed the semiconductor technicians to their work site in the lab and conducted participant observation. In the beginning of this research, I found a contradictory phenomenon: on the one hand, similar to previous research, most mem¬bers of the laboratory thought that the job of technician is valueless, they were regarded as scientists’ or laboratory’s hands; on the other hand, I was also aware of the unique knowledge and skills in these technicians, many graduate students were heavily reliant on technicians’ instruction and advices in scientific prac¬tice/experimentation. Consequently, the puzzle of my research emerged in this contradictory phenomenon: “if the work of semiconductor technicians is impor¬tant, why are these technicians valueless in the eyes of the members in the labora¬tory?”

In this thesis, I attempt to argue that the value of semiconductor technicians is underesti¬mated; in reality, they play a key role in scientific research, therefore, we must recognize the substantial importance of these technicians. Moreover, this re-search is going to answer the puzzle from substantive and symbolic aspects:

First of all, from substantive aspect, I found two different knowledge categories—contex¬tual and formal knowledge—existing in research process and each is indispensable to a successful research. Technicians are proficient in the former, and incompetent in the latter. They practice contextual knowledge with understanding, deploy¬ing their body and senses, interpreting sensory signals, allocating materials and take action according to actual circumstances. As a matter of fact, they are not merely “lab’s hands” and passively obeyed scientists’ order.

On the contrary, researchers/scientists are proficient in “formal knowledge” which is composed of three components: symbols/variables, theory and scientific reasoning. The purpose of scientific research is “knowing-why” and scientists achieve this goal by utilizing formal knowledge. By using theories and scientific reasoning, scientists transform the material world into an imagined world full of abstract symbols/variables, finding the relationship between variables, attempting to find the principles behind the material world, establishing a coherent argument and tell a whole story.

These two types of knowledge (contextual and formal knowledge) are indispensa¬ble in scientific research, and complementary with each other. The research would be suspended or terminated in the absence of any of them.

Secondary, from symbolic aspect, I found the standard which evaluates one’s exper¬tise/competence in the laboratory and the reason why these technicians were re¬garded as valueless. Most members in the semiconductor laboratory recognized “for¬mal knowledge” while devaluating “contextual knowledge”. Thus, technicians devaluated their affluent contextual knowledge/skills and thought that scientists are more important doing mental work than technicians doing manual labour jobs.

Last but not least, the value of technicians is underestimated according to the evalua¬tion standard in the laboratory, which doesn’t fit the reality. Although technicians are not proficient in “formal knowledge” and cannot accomplish a whole scientific re¬search independently, they utilize “contextual knowledge” in scientific prac¬tice/experimentation, and play an important role as a “broker” and bridge the gap be¬tween scientific theories and practices. For this reason, we must re-estimate the value of technicians and recognize their importance in scientific research.

並列關鍵字

semiconductor technicians ； contextual knowledge ； formal knowledge ； tacit knowledge ； epistemic politics

參考文獻

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