Temporal Dynamics of Deinstitutionalization – The Case of Asbestos in France

Through the controversial history of asbestos use in France, we study a long deinstitutionalization process marked by alternating phases of acceleration and deceleration. To understand these changes of pace, we reveal interactions over the long term between action profiles that differ in terms of the type of agency (strategic or pragmatic) and the resource mobilization process (leveraging, accumulation, or convening) involved. Analyzing a rich corpus of documentary data triangulated with interviews, we draw up a schema of the complex deinstitutionalization process concerning asbestos in France. We then set out four theoretical propositions about the temporal dynamics of deinstitutionalization: (1) defensive action essentially involves leveraging efforts that promote long phases and help to slow down the pace of deinstitutionalization; (2) disruptive action produces slow, incremental effects through marginal integration of changes into existing institutional schemas. The acceleration phase of deinstitutionalization is temporally bounded by the disruptive actors’ resources; (3) the acceleration and deceleration phases of deinstitutionalization hinge on the perception of urgency, which is a factor of instrumentalization for strategic actors; and (4) convening is a form of mobilization that significantly slows down the pace of deinstitutionalization.

Jellyfish Locomotion

Two dichotomies exist within the swim systems of jellyfish—one centered on the mechanics of locomotion and the other on phylogenetic differences in nervous system organization. For example, medusae with prolate body forms use a jet propulsion mechanism, whereas medusae with oblate body forms use a drag-based marginal rowing mechanism. Independent of this dichotomy, the nervous systems of hydromedusae are very different from those of scyphomedusae and cubomedusae. In hydromedusae, marginal nerve rings contain parallel networks of neurons that include the pacemaker network for the control of swim contractions. Sensory structures are similarly distributed around the margin. In scyphomedusae and cubomedusae, the swim pacemakers are restricted to marginal integration centers called rhopalia. These ganglionlike structures house specialized sensory organs. The swim system adaptations of these three classes (Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, and Cubozoa), which are constrained by phylogenetics, still adhere to the biomechanical efficiencies of the prolate/oblate dichotomy. This speaks to the adaptational abilities of the cnidarian nervous system as specialized in the medusoid forms.