Stark's dissertation is an ambitious historical and ethnographic study of the development of ethical standards in contemporary American psychological and medical research. Using a novel mix of archival sources, interviews, and participant observation, Stark shows how human subjects panels have operated less on the basis of a set of deductive rules, than by relying on a collection of locally negotiated, case-based practices. Her combination of historical and sociological methods allows her to effectively historicize both scientific practice and ethical judgment, revealing that the human sciences have served not only as a tool of public policy, but also as a resource for identifying moral ends in contemporary society.
Laura Stark received the Ph.D. in Sociology from Princeton University in 2006 and was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Science in Human Culture at Northwestern University from 2006-2008. She is a Stetten Fellow in the Office of NIH History for 2008-2009.
Committee: Greg Eghigian (chair), Jamie Cohen-Cole, David Valone