Science and the Sociology of Knowledge

by Michael J. Mulkay

The major contributors to the sociology of knowledge have agreed that the conclusions of science depend on social action only in a very limited sense. This view is examined critically and it is argued that scientific knowledge should be included fully within the scope of sociological analysis. The production of scientific knowledge is depicted as a process of negotiation, the outcome of which depends on participants' use of resources which are both technical and social. It is shown how cultural resources are taking over from the broader cultural milieu and incorporated into the body of certified knowledge; and how, in the wider political context, scientists' claims are conditioned and affected by their social allegiances.

Genres: Sociology

132 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1979

Reviews

[Sharad Pandian]

Mulkay argues that "Sociologists and philosophers have converged on a conception of science as an interpretative enterprise, in the course of which the nature of the physical world is socially constructed," a move that "brings science fully within the scope of the sociology of knowledge" (95). Although largely correct, there isn't much original work here, even for 1979, so it's best seen as trying to synthesize what had been produced until then.

Note: He provides a summary of the book at the end, from p. 118 to 122.