S.TRUEMAN PhD THESIS 2016

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8.2.9 ‘Black boxes’ and ‘punctualisation’

In this section, the researcher discusses the concepts of black boxes and punctualisation in more detail. The concepts are discussed each with reference to psychiatric medications, and then in relation to technology, as applied in the remote nurse’s social world of delivering mental healthcare. 8.2.9.1 Black boxes To use the term ‘black box’ is to describe a technical object (Pinch & Bijker, 1984) that is constructed and consists of multiple complexities that operate as the object is designed to do (e.g., car, computer). Because it works as it should, the complex sociotechnical relationships that constitute it are rendered invisible, or ‘black-boxed’ (Callon, 1986b). A black box makes something, anything, appear simple and uncomplicated to the observer, which therefore makes myopic the techniques, materials, thought processes and behaviours; the necessary inputs for its creation. Punctualisation refers to the process by which complex actor-networks are black boxed and linked with other networks to create larger actor-networks, ‘the process of punctualization thus converts an entire network into a single point or node in another network’ (Callon, 1986b, p. 153). 8.2.9.2 Psychiatric medication An enormous part of delivering mental healthcare is administering psychiatric medications, and this is no different for remote general nurses. Psychiatric medications are a very important actor in the remote nurse’s social world and are part of the non-human arena (physical resource). The advent of second-generation psychiatric medications has increased their breath of applicability and usage in mental health. Before the first