SOCI 325: Sociology of Science

Agenda

Institutional analysis

  1. Administrative
  2. Institutional analysis and science
  3. Social construction of excellence
  4. Reading discussion

Administrative

Next class

  • No group discussion next Tuesday — intro to social construction and realism

What is institutional analysis?

What is an “institution”?

  • "Institution" is a very broad term in sociology.
  • An institution is a set of persistent regularities in behavior viewed as durable.
    E.g. Religions, legal systems, companies, industries family, …
  • In this sense, science (roles, methods, norms) is an institution.

Institutional analysis (IA)

  • IA is a perspective in sociology that aims to explain the forms and structures of institutions in society.
  • Institutional analysts examine the ways that institutions shape the behavior of their individual participants.
  • IA focuses on the aggregate outcomes of institutional rules, structures, and norms.
A wide, high-angle shot of an ornate courtroom. A judge and stenographer sit in the middle, with a witness in military garb in the witness box. In front of them there are two tables with prosecutors, defence attourneys, and others in military garb.

3 institutional analyses of science

Merton

  • Explaining the function of the institution of science (certified knowledge).
  • Sets of institutional norms induce individual behavior.
  • Aggregating this behavior ensures rational and beneficial outcomes.

Kuhn

  • Explaining change in the institution of science.
  • How are implicit assumptions about the world (institutional paradigms) maintained, and how do they change?
  • How do institutional paradigms support and restrict what we know about the world?

van den Brink & Benschop

  • Explaining the unexamined consequences of institutional practices.
  • How do institutionalized norms (merit / excellence) work against their stated ideals?
  • How do institutional structures interact with culture at large?
Photo of two scientists arguing, with three other scientists watching.

Constructing excellence

Frame from the Smurfs showing smurfette standing on a toadstool while all the other smurfs look at her with a variety of facial expressions.

Meritocracy

  • Merton:
    A norm of meritocracy makes good science by opening the field of scientific ideas and practice to everyone.
  • van den Brink and Benschop:
    A norm of meritocracy reinforces inequality by creating a cover for institutional bias

Objectification of academic excellence

  • Prioritizes certain features (e.g. citations, career patterns, etc.) over others (e.g. creativity, administrative support)
  • Reifies those features as the 'objective' measures of excellence

Social construction
of excellence

  • Academic hiring committees must negotiate the criteria that distinguish excellence from non-excellence
  • In doing so, they are determining what "excellence" is

Next class

Lecture:
Social construction
and the real

Required reading

  • Sismondo(2009)
    Chapter 6: The social construction of scientific
    and technical realities

Image credit

A wide, high-angle shot of an ornate courtroom. A judge and stenographer sit in the middle, with a witness in military garb in the witness box. In front of them there are two tables with prosecutors, defence attourneys, and others in military garb.

Mock trial photo via PopularResistance.org

Photo of two scientists arguing, with three other scientists watching.

Credit: Michael Blann Getty Images, via Scientific American

Frame from the Smurfs showing smurfette standing on a toadstool while all the other smurfs look at her with a variety of facial expressions.

Still from The Smurfs via Smurfs Fanon Wiki