Controversy Studies in Science and Technology Studies

Andrew James Bartlett

doi:10.4135/9781526421036829070

Controversy Studies in Science and Technology Studies

Andrew James Bartlett

Health Sciences

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Controversy studies allow researchers to trace the processes by which claims come to be accepted as true (or false) by the members of the research field, wider scientific communities, and eventually important groups outside the relevant communities of practice, such as funders, policymakers, and public audiences. How does a sociologist study a scientific controversy? Should they wait until the science is settled, and provide a sociological description of how the truth won out, and explain the way in which “social factors” caused scientists to hold to falsehoods? Can a sociologist take for granted the power of truth in settling controversies? Since the 1970s, sociologists of science have demonstrated that the answer to these questions is no. Through social research methods, including ethnographic methods, researchers can open these controversies to sociological analysis.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Sage Research Methods Foundations
Editors	Paul Atkinson, Sara Delamont, Richard A Williams, Alexandru Cernat, Joseph Sakshaug
Publisher	SAGE
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526421036829070
Publication status	Published - 2020

Keywords

Controversy Studies
Ethnography
Research Methods
Science and Technology Studies

Access to Document

10.4135/9781526421036829070

Cite this

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title = "Controversy Studies in Science and Technology Studies",

abstract = "Controversy studies allow researchers to trace the processes by which claims come to be accepted as true (or false) by the members of the research field, wider scientific communities, and eventually important groups outside the relevant communities of practice, such as funders, policymakers, and public audiences. How does a sociologist study a scientific controversy? Should they wait until the science is settled, and provide a sociological description of how the truth won out, and explain the way in which “social factors” caused scientists to hold to falsehoods? Can a sociologist take for granted the power of truth in settling controversies? Since the 1970s, sociologists of science have demonstrated that the answer to these questions is no. Through social research methods, including ethnographic methods, researchers can open these controversies to sociological analysis. ",

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KW - Ethnography

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A2 - Delamont, Sara

A2 - Williams, Richard A

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