The Transductive Flu: Disruptive Virality and Biosocial Immunity

Abstract

This thesis explores the multifaceted nature of the flu virus, examining its biological, socio-cultural, and cyber-technological dimensions to understand how these viralities might interact and shape both the virus's potential becomings, and our responses to it. Methodologically, the study employs an ethnographic approach, relying on intentional explorations and spontaneous encounters in the context of a multi-site fieldwork that mostly took place in Ottawa—including visits to a doctor's office and a pharmacy, conversations with various healthcare professionals and volunteers, as well as digital encounters. Findings highlight that effective collective immunity against the flu requires a multimodal understanding and approach that integrates biological, social, and cyber-technological perspectives, and that building adaptive, flexible resilience involves fostering community connections through shared experiences and relational gestures, rather than relying solely on methods of isolation and control.