Ideology and science

What sociologists talk about science as an open system

Popper ,Merton,

Popper

Science is an open belief system that constantly tests ,challenges and refines knowledge

-falsifiability- theories must be open to rejection

-occur through criticism and testing

-scientific knowledge is cumulative

E.g. replacement of Newtonian physics by einstein’s theory of relativity

Merton

CUDOS norms

-Communism- knowledge is shared publicly

-Universalism-based on objective criteria

-Disinterestedness- researcher seek truth over personal gain

-Organised Skepticism- all findings are rigorously tested and critiqued

What is a closed belief system and who talks about it?

-resistant to change, questioning is discouraged

-e.g. traditional religions or authoritarian ideas

Horton- compares science as an open-ended system (truth based) with witchcraft (claims cannot be easily overturned)

What sociologists talk about closed belief systems

Evan’s-Pritchard , Polanyi

Evan’s-Pritchard

Witchcraft among the Azande people

-self-contained belief system (explains the world using only own terms and cannot be challenged)

-reinforced by community beliefs and rituals

-it performs useful functions- giving people answers

Polanyi

Circularity-self-sustaining beliefs use circular logic and reject contradictory evidence

Subsidiary explanations- there is always an excuse if there is an apparent failure (i.e. false prophecy)

-denial of legitimacy to rival explanations (i.e. creationism or flat earthers or scientific proof)

What sociologists goes against science as an open system and what do they say?

Kuhn

-scientific fields work with a scientific paradigm (what majority of scientists believe is correct)

-reluctant to accept evidence when it goes against scientific paradigm

E.g. Roger Penrose’ work was reluctant to get published and when it did it got no attention

What is the idea of sociology of knowledge and who talks about it

Scientific knowledge is influenced by societal forces and is limited by the resources available (money, equipment)

Woolgar

Woolgar

Scientific fact is simply a belief that scientists are able to persuade their colleagues to share- not necessarily a real thing out there

What is an example of how societal factors influenced science

Patriarchy meant that less research was done on women or results said women were less intelligent - biased results

What do Marxists say about science

Science serves capitalist interest

-e.g. pharmaceuticals focusing on profitable drugs

-science advances knowledge but it is often directed by those funding it

What do feminists say about science

Critique science for overlooking women’s contribution

-e.g. exclusion of women in medical studies

-advocate for a more balanced approach with gender

What do postmodernists say about science

View science as one of many ways to understand the world

-science as a ‘meta-narrative’ claiming universal truth

-indigenous knowledge systems marginalised by Western science

What is a criticism of the postmodernist truth

Postmodernism is a meta-narrative itself