On the Sociology of Science (STS)

1. Key Orientation of STS (and Religion): Science & Religion as Social Products/Institutions Facts, Methods, Concepts, Theories and ways-of-

studying

2. Tools of a Sociological analysis Social Epistemology Social Constructivism Bruno Latour on “critique”

Key Orientations of STS

Science is a thoroughly social activity (therefore a sociological analysis is appropriate)

The process are subtle (complex) interweavings of practices, philosophies, and dialectical relations with the material world.

General rejection of the Common View of Science. (PUS)– E.g., material world is not mechanically translated into knowledge

(e.g., “discovery.”);

– The Material world is USED by scientists to develop models.

A Sociological Understanding…

On the Sociology of Science (Tools)

Sociologists often say something is “socially constructed”.

That IS NOT – “It’s simply a social construction.”

On the Sociology of Science

Basic Principle: 'what is taken to be real is real in its consequences'.

W.I. Thomas:– "If people define situations as real, they are

real in their consequences."

Social Epistemology

study of the intellectual process of society

the analysis of the – production– distribution– utilizationof intellectual products

(just like other products – what are the materials, knowledge, mechanical & other processes that go into their production? What are the economic conditions, or policy [political] arrangements that facilitate or inhibit?)

What is Knowledge?

Social Construction

An example - perception matters– Husband sees an event the way he sees it

– Wife sees an event the way she it

– Who’s right?– What does the marital counsellor do?

Sociologically: Perception is a SHARED process (construction)

Do we want an example?

On the Sociology of Science - from Bruno Latour (2004) The Point of Social Constructivist versions

of Science Studies– “I myself have spent some time in the past

trying to show "the lack of scientific certainty" inherent in the construction of facts.”

– The point is “to emancipate us from prematurely naturalized objectified facts”

On the Sociology of Science - from Bruno Latour (2004) The Point of Social Constructivist versions

of Science Studies (Cont.)– “The question was never to get away from facts

but to get closer to them.”– “Reality is not defined by matters of fact.” – “Matters of fact are only very partial and very

polemical, very political renderings of matters of concern.”

On the Sociology of Science

Latour concludes:– “Whereas the Enlightenment profited largely from the

disposition of a very powerful descriptive tool, that of matters of fact -- which were excellent for debunking quite a lot of beliefs, powers, and illusions -- it found itself totally disarmed once matters of fact, in turn, were eaten up by the same debunking impetus.”

– (e.g., climate change science, oilsands, etc – Fruedenburg, Davidson &Gramling, 2008; Scientific unCertainty Argumentation Method (“SCAM”)

Energy industry PR strategist)

"Should the public come to believe that the scientific issues are settled, their views about

global warming will change accordingly. Therefore, you need to continue to make the lack

of scientific certainty a primary issue.”

But it IS uncertain (as scientists understand certainty - Proof)

ignoring these aspects (practices, PUS) of Science and their uses/different-uses imperils us.

On the Sociology of Science

Latour concludes:– “The critical mind, if it is to be relevant again,

must devote itself to the cultivation of a stubborn realism, but a realism dealing with what I will call matters of concern, not matters of fact.”

On the Sociology of Science

CONCLUSIONS– Social Constructivism means “science, like other

social practices invented by humans is a construction of those humans, ergo, a “social construction”

– Social constructivism is a “way of seeing” a tool to be used to understand social practices.

– It contests REALIST (and other) orientations.

– There are several varieties of Soc. Const - “weak” versions to “strong” versions.