SOCI 325: Sociology of Science

Agenda

Feminist epistemologies

  1. Discussion question format reminder
  2. Today's readings in context
  3. Haraway on objectivity
  4. Reading discussion

Discussion question format

Two-part submissions:

1. Prompt

  • One (broad) idea, described in a few sentences
  • Can contain multiple, related “questions”
  • Can contain quotes from text
  • Should use in-text (parenthetical) citations
  • A single prompt (one of the numbered items on the worksheets)

2. Motivation

  • A few sentences describing where the question is coming from and where I hope it may lead
  • Counts toward score, but will not be published if your question is chosen for inclusion

Example:

Prompt:
Merton wrote The normative structure of science early in his career in 1942 (during World War II) and included it in a collection of his work on the sociology of science in 1973 (during the Cold War). How might the political climate of this time span in America have influenced his work? Do his theories cast science in a particular light? How does this work look through the lens of Wolfe's (2018) depiction of science during the Cold War?


Motivation:
I was thinking about the age of Merton’s piece, (published more than 80 years ago!) in the context of the course theme “history of science is a social history.” Rather than just understanding the reading as an example of the sociology of science, I thought it would be interesting to treat it as the object of our inquiry. In addition to helping us understand Merton’s arguments in context, I hope this will raise the larger issue of whether we can apply the tools of the sociology of science to the sociology of science itself.

Today's readings in context

Three perspectives on epistemology:

(i.e. "is knowledge social?")

Oct 5

Bloor (1976)

  • Strong programme
  • Staunchly constructivist

Oct 12

Haraway (1988)

  • Standpoint thoery
  • Reclaiming objectivity

Martin (1991)

  • Application of feminist empiricism

Oct 17

Hacking (1983)

  • Scientific realism
  • Incorporating ideas from constructivism

Feminist epistemology

A brief note on the term feminist

  • Contemporary feminist epistemology is concerned with much more than just gender
  • Describes a critical approach to epistemology that focuses on power and structures of oppression
  • Includes, e.g., critical race theory, postcolonial theory, critical disability theory, …

Haraway on objectivity

Situated knowledge

Haraway is a response to feminist (and other critical) critiques of “objectivity”

  • Historically, objectivity has consistently been used to justify exploitation and oppression
  • Modern ideal of objectivity as impartial and 'perspectiveless' (god trick) is inherently oppressive
  • "Perspectiveless" objectivity is in fact the persepctive of whoever is in power
  • Haraway addresses two opposing critical responses to the problems of objectivity:
Scooby-Doo unmasking meme. Top panel: The Scooby-Doo gang standing in front of a tied up person in a ghost costume whose head is labeled 'Objectivity.' The caption reads 'Ok objectivity, let's see who you really are. Bottom panel: Frid pulling the mask off the tied up person, whose face is now covered with the word 'subjectivity.' The caption reads 'Oh! It was subjectivity all along!

Radical constructivism

  • Scientific knowledge is nothing more than rhetoric, power, and jockeying over control of the dominant narrative
  • Complete rejection of objectivity

Feminist empiricsim

  • Marginalized voices are necessary in science to counteract the cultural contingency of experience (e.g. Martin 1991)
  • Fundamentally subscribes to the modern ideal of objectivity

Situated knowledge

Standpoint theory (a la Haraway)

A third choice

  • Don’t reject objectivity entirely, reject the impartiality of objectivity
  • There is no such thing as knowledge without a perspective
  • For Haraway, feminist standpoint theory offers the groundedness of objectivity while acknowledging the inherent contingency of knowledge

“Feminist objectivity is about limited location and situated knowledge, not about transcendence and splitting of subject and object. It allows us to become answerable for what we learn how to see.” (583)

Top panel: two hands outstretched, one offering a red pill and the other offering a blue pill. The red pill is labeled 'radical constructivism' and the blue pill is labeled 'feminist empiricsm.' Bottom panel: a man (Zizek) standing in front of a chair with a completely white background, pointing at the camera. This panel is labeled 'I want a third pill (standpoint theory)'

Next class

Scientific Realism

  • Hacking (1983)
    What is scientific realism?

Image credit

Scooby-Doo unmasking meme. Top panel: The Scooby-Doo gang standing in front of a tied up person in a ghost costume whose head is labeled 'Objectivity.' The caption reads 'Ok objectivity, let's see who you really are. Bottom panel: Frid pulling the mask off the tied up person, whose face is now covered with the word 'subjectivity.' The caption reads 'Oh! It was subjectivity all along!

Stills from Scooby-Doo

two hands outstretched, one offering a red pill and the other offering a blue pill

Still from The Matrix (1999)

a man (Zizek) standing in front of a chair with a completely white background, pointing at the camera.

Still from The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006)

harway: good explanation of standpoint theory also: good framing within other feminist epistemologies Martin: good example of feminist empiricism also: nice to have an applied example among all of this heavy theory

modern ideal of objectivity: free of context accessible to some but not dependent on them impartial perspective