title: Multiple chemical sensitivities: the social construction of an illness.
abstract: Multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) has emerged as an important and highly controversial issue in occupational health. Debate centers on whether the illness is "physical" or "psychological." A strong corporate-backed campaign has framed the debate and has pushed MCS advocates into a strategy of "proving the physical" nature of MCS. Proponents of both positions, however, share key assumptions that impede long-term efforts to benefit MCS sufferers, including acceptance of the physical/psychological dichotomy as a paradigm for the illness, a desire to rid the debate of "politics" to allow "objective scientific" data to be amassed, and a view of MCS as unique without links to other occupational illnesses. While a grassroots movement has benefited MCS sufferers in a number of important ways, the shared assumptions have impeded development of a more complex model for the illness that is reflective of a complex reality, reproduced mainstream expert/non-expert relationships, and failed to connect with the broader occupational health and safety movement. The author outlines an alternative theory and practice to begin addressing these issues, beginning with a recognition of MCS as a problem of developing knowledge within a context of class power.
authors.affiliation: Central New York Occupational Health Clinical Center, Syracuse 13211, USA.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Lax
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D018777:Multiple Chemical Sensitivity; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011640:Public Policy; D014481:United States