Sosyoloji Araştırmaları Dergisi, cilt.24, sa.1, ss.110-145, 2021 (Hakemli Dergi)
SOSYO-BİYO-TEKNİK BAKIM KOMPLEKSİ: TİP 1 DİYABETTE DİJİTAL SAĞLIK TAKİBİ
SOCIO-BIO-TECHNICAL CARE COMPLEX: DIGITAL
HEALTH TRACKING IN TYPE 1 DIABETES
Developments in medical technology and
digitalization in the health sector have led to a rapid spread of digital
self-tracking worldwide, including Turkey. Such technologies are mostly used in
tracking and treating chronic diseases. In this article, we focus on
technologically caused different forms of care in Continuous Glucose Monitoring
Systems (CGM) used by adults and children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). For
children with T1D, parents are considered the users of CGM since they are their
caregivers. We examine the question of empowerment and disempowerment, and the
effects caused by this to and fro relationship, from the perspectives of the
sociology of medicine, body and technology against the framework of care in
digital self-tracking in T1D. Based on observations and in-depth interviews
with adults with T1D and parents of children with T1D, who used CGM for
monitoring purposes in the cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, we
conceptualize this back and forth relationship as dis_empowerment within the
socio-bio-technical care complex.
Keywords: Socio-Bio-Technical Care Complex, Body Technology
Relationship, Self-Tracking, Practice Theory, Diabetes.