Scientific Knowledge and Mobilization of Grassroots Struggle: The Mexican Movement "In Defense of Maize".

Social movements that aim to combat "invisible" health and environmental problems--from toxic waste in the water supply to global climate change--have a unique relationship with science. The phenomena that are at the core of such movements' grievances are undetectable without scientific experts and their specialized tools of measurement. What does this dependence on scientific experts imply for those who wish to collectively bring about social change? How can social movements mobilize people to protest threats that are invisible? This study of the contemporary Mexican anti-biotechnology movement considers the relationship between scientific knowledge and movement mobilization. Since 2001, a transnational network of activists has protested the importation of GE corn from the United States and demanded the protection of native maize varieties. Among a variety of strategies pursued by this activist network, some peasant farmers and non-governmental organizations have undertaken scientific research to discover the extent of transgenic "contamination" of native maize. In this paper, I intend to show that, rather than creating an unbalanced relationship of dependence on science, Mexican anti-biotechnology activists transformed themselves into specialized knowledge producers. These findings contribute a new dimension to understanding how social movements define their grievances and confront contradictory claims made by their opponents. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]