UBC Press Delivering Policy book Paperback 252 pages

Are assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as in vitro fertilization a medical issue or a matter of public policy, subject to restrictions? In Delivering Policy, Francesca Scala employs the concept of boundary work to explain the prolonged debates that ensued when the Canadian government appointed a royal commission in 1989 to draw up a blueprint for legislative action.From the birth of the first “test tube baby” in 1978 to the passage of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act in 2004, Scala reveals how policy makers, civil society actors, and members of the medical-scientific community attempted to define assisted reproductive technologies from within the realms of science or politics. They challenged, defended, or blurred the divisions between the two fields of knowledge to secure their position as the authoritative voice not only on the issue of ARTs but also on the governance of science more broadly.Delivering Policy delineates in vivid detail the people, institutions, and processes – from royal commissions and public consultations to parliamentary politics – that influenced ARTs policy in Canada. This compelling account contributes to our understanding of the interaction between science and politics, the exercise of social control over science and technology, and the politics of expertise in policy making.

Francesca Scala is an associate professor of public policy in the Department of Political Science at Concordia University. She is the co-editor of Fertile Ground: Exploring Reproduction in Canada.