S.TRUEMAN PhD THESIS 2016

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momentary unconnected space with the remote nurse; there is a gap separating the two. However, when the phone is answered or the plane lands that ‘space’ or ‘gap’ in the network disappears. These examples could be represented by the dashed line in Figure 8.1(B), which illustrates the temporary nature of the network and that there is nothing ‘surrounding’ them. Far/close: actor-network theory erases the traditional notion of geographical distance as being conceived of as ‘far’ or ‘proximate’. Individuals or groups while geographically close remain interminably ‘distant’ from one another if disconnected to a network. Conversely, individuals or groups may appear geographically distant but may be close when their connections are identified and analysed. With reference to Figure 8.2, if A represents a registered nurse in a metropolitan emergency department who cannot contact the psychiatric on-call registrar (B), in the same metropolitan hospital, then they are more distant or apart, than a remote nurse (A) who telephones and speaks to an on-call psychiatric registrar (E) many thousands of kilometres away in a regional hospital. Pursuant to actor-network theory actors A and E were able to establish a network and hence, their success makes geographical distance irrelevant. It was the use of the non human actor which was critical: the satellite-phone technology.

C

A

E

D

B

Figure 8.2. Network node connectedness.