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Andreas_Rebmann

Professor Adriana Petryna teaches Anthropology at UPenn. She focuses on science and technology, globalization and health, and medical anthropology. Her focuses are intertwined with DSTS Network at times, studying incidents of interest such as this article on Chernobyl, and at other times focuses on systemic health issues in socities. 

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Andreas_Rebmann

"Soviet scientists, too, were unprepared, but they did not admit their ignorance. In an August 1986 meeting with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), they presented a crude analysis of the distribution of radiation in the Zone of Exclusion and in the Soviet Union: "assessments were made of the actual and future radiation doses received by the populations of towns, villages, and other inhabited places. As a result of these and other measures, it proved possible to keep exposures within the estab- lished limits."

"In this daily bureaucratic instantiation of Chernobyl, tensions among zone workers, resettled individuals and families, scientists, physicians, legislators, and civil servants intensified. Together, these groups became invested in a new social and moral contract between state and civil society, a contract guaranteeing them the right to know their levels of risk and to use legal means to obtain medical care and monitoring. The suf- ferers and their administrators were also supported by the nonsuffering citizens, who paid a 12 percent tax on their salaries to support compensations. The hybrid quality of this postsocialist state and social contract comes into view."

"He told me, how- ever, that "when a crying mother comes to my laboratory and asks me, Professor Lavrov, 'tell me what's wrong with my child?' I assign her a dose and say nothing more. I double it, as much as I can." The offer of a higher dose increased the likeli- hood that the mother would be able to secure social protection on account of her potentially sick child."

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Andreas_Rebmann

The author states that this work is based off of a few things, including multiple years of field work in Ukraine throughout 1990 to 2000.

Based upon her observations within research and medical facilities within Ukraine during these visits she defined patterns of issues affecting the population.

Using her knowledge and past experience as well she established these patterns and their effects in order to understand the situation in Ukraine.

She also interviewed russian scientists to understand their perspective on the issues as well.