Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 2021

Boundary Work and Boundary Objects: Synthesizing Two Concepts for Moments of Controversy

Jessica R. Houf Louisiana Tech University

Abstract

There are two boundary concepts utilized in technical and professional communication (TPC) scholarship: boundary work and, to a lesser degree, boundary objects. Boundary work functions to demarcate, incorporate, and expel particular ideas, groups, and practices from a field or profession. Boundary objects enhance the capacity of ideas, practices, and theories to translate across different groups. Together, these concepts are useful to TPC scholars interested in moments of controversy. In this essay, I explore the dialectical relationship between these two concepts and apply the resulting synthesis to a contemporary case study, the use of fecal microbiota transplants. I argue that the human microbiome functions as a boundary object and opens space within medicine’s own boundary work for the inclusion of fecal microbiota transplants. Together, the dialectical concepts of boundary work and boundary object create a new kind of analytic that allows TPC scholars to map boundary transformations, recognize moments for intervention, and create strategies for collaboration.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2021-07-01
DOI
10.1177/0047281620947355
Open Access
Closed
Topics
qualitative research professional writing

Citation Context

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  1. Maddalena (2025)
    Engaging Holisms: Rhetorical Topology and the Probiotic Turn
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  2. Fanning (2023)
    Visual Representation & Visible Boundaries in Online Postpartum Depression …
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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