Download or read book Social Stratification in Science written by Jonathan R. Cole and published by Chicago : University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1973-01-01 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book What s Wrong with Sociology written by Stephen Cole and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the 1950s sociology has experienced a decline in prestige when compared with the other social sciences. In some highly publicized cases some universities have retrenched their sociology departments, others are contemplating either retrenchment or downsizing of their departments. Although there are some practitioners of the discipline who believe that it has never been in better shape, many sociologists have come to believe that there are very serious problems both in the cognitive and social organization of the discipline. This book contains sixteen essays by sociologists who believe that their discipline faces very serious problems which must be overcome if the discipline is to survive and prosper. The contributors were selected to represent diverse views and thus there is substantial disagreement among them over what the problems are that sociology faces and how they may be remedied. In this highly provocative book readers is likely to find some essays they agree with and others they disagree with; but all the essays present important problems faced by the discipline which must be addressed.Although the authors of the sixteen essays do not agree on what is wrong with the discipline, there are some themes which appear frequently. In his introduction Cole summarizes and comments on these themes. His introduction centers on the question of whether sociology is entirely socially constructed. Is what we believe to be true about society constrained by empirical evidence or is it a result of our ideology, power, authority, and other social processes? One theme which appears in many of the essays is that sociology has become too ideological and as a result has lost credibility among university administrators, politicians and the general public. Many of the essays also stress the view that there are very low levels of consensus in sociology and that it is hard to see evidence of progress. Others criticize the discipline for not dealing with the really important social issues and see much of the work published as being parochial and trivial. Questions are also raised about why the use of causal models has failed to generate solutions to most of the problems the discipline addresses. Some authors believe that the discipline adheres to an overly rational model of human behavior and has failed to keep up with some of the advances introduced by post-modernist theories.This highly readable set of essays should be of interest to all those are concerned about the current state of sociology. They will also be useful in introducing graduate students to some of the most important issues currently being debated in the field.Stephen Cole is currently professor of sociology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and professor of sociology at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is the author of Making Science: Between Nature and Society, and with Jonathan R. Cole, Social Stratification in Science.
Download or read book The Great American University written by Jonathan R. Cole and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-06-22 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Americans and people throughout the world have become increasingly dependent on America's great research universities. Yet few of us truly understand to what we owe this extraordinary excellence or what we must do to keep it. From the development of technologies like the laser, the global positioning system, the MRI, radar, and even Viagra, to predicting weather patterns, American research universities are one of our most vital sources of economic growth and social welfare. They have flourished because of a system that has invested public tax dollars in their work and, more importantly, granted substantial autonomy to funding agencies and the universities. This system is now under attack, the university's preeminence endangered by the USA PATRIOT Act and other conservative policies. This revelatory and alarming book will show how this vital institution is at risk of tragically losing its dominant status and why a threat to the university is a threat to the health and wealth of our nation.
Download or read book Making Science written by Stephen Cole and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sociology of science is dominated today by relativists who boldly argue that the content of science is not influenced by evidence from the empirical world but is instead socially constructed in the laboratory. Making Science is the first serious critique by a sociologist of the social constructivist position. Stephen Cole begins by making a distinction between two kinds of knowledge: the core, which consists of those contributions that have passed the test of evaluation and are universally accepted as true and important, and the research frontier, which is composed of all work in progress that is still under evaluation. Of the thousands of scientific contributions made each year, only a handful end up in the core. What distinguishes those that are successful? Agreeing with the constructivists, Cole argues that there exists no set of rules that enables scientists to certify the validity of frontier knowledge. This knowledge is "underdetermined" by the evidence, and therefore social factors--such as professional characteristics and intellectual authority--can and do play a crucial role in its evaluation. But Cole parts company with the constructivists when he asserts that it is impossible to understand which frontier knowledge wins a place in the core without first considering the cognitive characteristics of the contributions. He concludes that although the focus of scientific research, the rate of advance, and indeed the everyday making of science are influenced by social variables and processes, the content of the core of science is constrained by nature. In Making Science, Cole shows how social variables and cognitive variables interact in the evaluation of frontier knowledge.
Download or read book On Social Structure and Science written by Robert K. Merton and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1996-09-15 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Robert K. Merton is unarguably one of the most influential sociologists of his time. A figure whose wide-ranging theoretical and methodological contributions have become fundamental to the field, Merton is best known for introducing such concepts and procedures as unanticipated consequences, self-fulfilling prophecies, focused group interviews, middle-range theory, opportunity structure, and analytic paradigms. This definitive compilation encompasses the breadth and brilliance of his works, from the earliest to the most recent. Merton's foundational writings on social structure and process, on the sociology of science and knowledge, and on the discipline and trajectory of sociology itself are all powerfully represented, as are his autobiographical insights in a fascinating coda. Anchored by Piotr Sztompka's contextualizing introduction, Merton's vast oeuvre emerges as a dynamic and profoundly coherent system of thought, a constant source of vitality and renewal for present and future sociology.
Download or read book Lives in Science written by Joseph C. Hermanowicz and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-04-15 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What can we learn when we follow people over the years and across the course of their professional lives? Joseph C. Hermanowicz asks this question specifically about scientists and answers it here by tracking fifty-five physicists through different stages of their careers at a variety of universities across the country. He explores these scientists’ shifting perceptions of their jobs to uncover the meanings they invest in their work, when and where they find satisfaction, how they succeed and fail, and how the rhythms of their work change as they age. His candid interviews with his subjects, meanwhile, shed light on the ways career goals are and are not met, on the frustrations of the academic profession, and on how one deals with the boredom and stagnation that can set in once one is established. An in-depth study of American higher education professionals eloquently told through their own words, Hermanowicz’s keen analysis of how institutions shape careers will appeal to anyone interested in life in academia.
Download or read book The Changing Governance of the Sciences written by Richard Whitley and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-03-20 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The establishment of national systems of retrospective research evaluations is one of the most significant of recent changes in the governance of science. This volume discusses the birth and development of research evaluation systems as well as the reasons for their absence in the United States. The book combines the latest research and an overview of trends in the changing governance of research. The focus is on institutionalisation processes and impacts on knowledge production.
Download or read book After Tobacco written by Peter S. Bearman and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: States have banned smoking in workplaces, restaurants, and bars. They have increased tobacco tax rates, extended "clean air" laws, and mounted dramatic antismoking campaigns. Yet tobacco use remains high among Americans, prompting many health professionals to seek bolder measures to reduce smoking rates, which has raised concerns about the social and economic consequences of these measures. Retail and hospitality businesses worry smoking bans and excise taxes will reduce profit, and with tobacco farming and cigarette manufacturing concentrated in southeastern states, policymakers fear the decline of regional economies. Such concerns are not necessarily unfounded, though until now, no comprehensive survey has responded to these beliefs by capturing the impact of tobacco control across the nation. This book, the result of research commissioned by Legacy and Columbia University's Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy, considers the economic impact of reducing smoking rates on tobacco farmers, cigarette-factory workers, the southeastern regional economy, state governments, tobacco retailers, the hospitality industry, and nonprofit organizations that might benefit from the industry's philanthropy. It also measures the effect of smoking reduction on mortality rates, medical costs, and Social Security. Concluding essays consider the implications of more vigorous tobacco control policy for law enforcement, smokers who face social stigma, the mentally ill who may cope through tobacco, and disparities in health by race, social class, and gender.
Download or read book Faculty Research Performance written by John W. Creswell and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The literature on faculty research performance is reviewed, with a focus on research by individual faculty members. The literature on the sociology of science and data-based results from sociological studies are emphasized. Attention is directed to measures of performance, the explanations and specific correlates likely to influence high research performance, and the practical implications of empirical studies for faculty development and evaluation. Three common measures of individual research performance are publication counts, citation counts, and peer and colleague ratings. Productivity researchers attempt to explain the variation in faculty research performance by psychological-individual factors, including superior intellectual ability, a strong motivation and drive to perform, personality traits, and background characteristics. Access to resources and advantages and reinforcements have also been linked to productivity. Additional correlates of productivity have also been investigated: prestige of doctoral program and employing institutions, rank and tenure, early productivity. Numerous correlate studies in the past 40 years have resulted in a profile of productive researchers. In addition to ideas to promote faculty development and evaluation, suggestions for future research of faculty research productivity are offered. Ten pages of references and an index are provided. (SW)
Download or read book Beyond the Myths about the Natural and Social Sciences written by Katarina Prpić and published by Katarina Prpic. This book was released on 2009 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Idea of Social Structure written by Lewis A. Coser and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-12 with total page 659 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written and compiled by friends and former students, The Idea of Social Structure honors Robert K. Merton, considered one of the premier sociologists of the twentieth century. Along with Talcott Parsons and Marion J. Levy, Merton was emphatic in his use of the term "social structure"—however different they were in defining and refining the term. The chapters in this volume address many of Merton's diverse sociological theories and, in turn, his theories' impact upon a very large sociological territory. The volume includes major statements on the context of working with Merton by Lewis A. Coser, Paul F. Lazarsfeld, Robert A. Nisbet, and Seymour Martin Lipset, as well as memorable statements covering Merton's interests in the sociology of knowledge and science, planning communities, medical education, relative deprivation, everyday life, political roles, and communication media. This is a powerful sourcebook for understanding the work of Merton and of his intellectual successors. Nisbet called the decade of the 1930s among the most vital and creative periods in American history. It was certainly a period of intense struggle—political, military, and ideological. But the formation of modern sociology was without question one of the crowning achievements in the scientific evolution of the century. The volume is sharply focused on Merton's work and deeply appreciative of the nature of his contribution. It is a landmark effort in the study of sociology as history.
Download or read book Inventing the Egghead written by Aaron Lecklider and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2013-04-09 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the twentieth century, popular songs, magazine articles, plays, posters, and novels alternated between representing intelligence as empowering and as threatening. In Inventing the Egghead, Aaron Lecklider cracks open this paradox by examining representations of intelligence to reveal brainpower's stalwart appeal and influence.
Download or read book Is American Science in Decline written by Yu Xie and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-06-11 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alarmists argue that the United States urgently needs more and better trained scientists to compete with the rest of the world. Their critics counter that, far from facing a shortage, we are producing a glut of young scientists with poor employment prospects. Both camps have issued reports in recent years that predict the looming decline of American science. Drawing on their extensive analysis of national datasets, Yu Xie and Alexandra Killewald have welcome news to share: American science is in good health. Is American Science in Decline? does reveal areas of concern, namely scientists' low earnings, the increasing competition they face from Asia, and the declining number of doctorates who secure academic positions. But the authors argue that the values inherent in American culture make the country highly conducive to science for the foreseeable future. They do not see globalization as a threat but rather a potential benefit, since it promotes efficiency in science through knowledge-sharing. In an age when other countries are catching up, American science will inevitably become less dominant, even though it is not in decline relative to its own past. As technology continues to change the American economy, better-educated workers with a range of skills will be in demand. So as a matter of policy, the authors urge that science education not be detached from general education.
Download or read book Smoother Pebbles written by Jonathan R. Cole and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2024-04-26 with total page 711 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Until the middle of the twentieth century, few thought of science as a social system, instead seeing scientific discovery as the work of individual geniuses. Columbia University’s Department of Sociology played a pivotal role in advancing the social study of science. Researchers of the “Columbia Program” analyzed how science works as a social institution, exploring its norms, values, and structure. Smoother Pebbles presents a collection of essays authored or coauthored by Jonathan R. Cole, a leading Columbia Program figure, that trace the development and institutionalization of the sociology of science. Spanning from the 1960s to the 2020s and including both empirical and theoretical studies of science, the book is at once wide-ranging and united by core questions. Are scientists rewarded for the merits of their work or for other reasons? How does the system of social stratification in science operate? Has the funding of scientists been the result of an “old boys’ network”? How fair is the peer review process? In what ways does science fall short of its universalistic ideals? What factors have constrained opportunities for women in science? How has science fared amid attacks on academic freedom and free inquiry at universities? Cole’s introduction contextualizes both individual essays and the major concerns of the Columbia Program. Smoother Pebbles is essential reading for those interested in the growth and crucial questions of the sociology and social studies of science.
Download or read book Nationalism and Internationalism in Science 1880 1939 written by Elisabeth Crawford and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002-07-04 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the upsurge of nationalism among scientists of warring nations during and after World War I.
Download or read book Peerless Science written by Daryl E. Chubin and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 1990-07-05 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the structure and operation of peer review as a family of quality control mechanisms and looks at the burdens placed on the various forms of peer review. Assuming that peer review is central to the functioning of U.S. science policy, Chubin and Hackett explore the symbolic and practical value of peer review in the making, implementing, and analysis of this policy.
Download or read book Women Science and Technology written by Mary Wyer and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This reader provides an introduction to the gendering of science and the impact women are making in laboratories around the world. The republished essays included in this collection are both personal tales from women scientists and essays on the nature of science itself, covering such controversial issues like the under-representation of women in science, reproductive technology, sociobiology, evolutionary theory, and the notion of objective science.
