Sociology of science
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{{Sociology}}
'''Sociology of science''' is the subfield of [[sociology]] that deals with the practice of [[science]].
Generally speaking, the sociology of science involves the study of science as a social activity, especially dealing "with the social conditions and effects of science, and with the social structures and processes of scientific activity."<ref name=socofsci-bendavid>{{cite journal
|title = Sociology of Science
|first = Joseph
|last = Ben-David
|coauthors = Teresa A. Sullivan
|journal = Annual Review of Sociology
|volume = 1
|date = 1975
|pages = 203–222
|url = http://www.compilerpress.atfreeweb.com/Anno%20Ben%20David%20&%20Sullivan%20Sociology%20of%20Science%20ARS%201975.htm
|accessdate = 2006-11-29
|doi = 10.1146/annurev.so.01.080175.001223
}}</ref> It has historically employed a number of methods for doing this. For example, [[Robert K. Merton]], generally considered one of the seminal authors in the sociology of science, used reference to [[bibliometrics|bibliometric]] information and [[history of science|historical]] information to develop a [[Merton thesis|thesis]] about the relationship between the [[Puritan]] religion and the [[scientific revolution]] in the 18th century. In a later work, he used his experience with scientists and with the history of science to formulate a list of [[norm (sociology)|norms]] which governed conduct within the scientific community. Though both of these approaches have been criticized for various reasons since they were postulated in the late 1930s and early 1940s, they serve as somewhat canonical examples of the sociology of science.<ref name="socofsci-bendavid" />
==See also==
*[[Theories and sociology of the history of science]]
*[[Sociology of knowledge]]
*[[Sociology of scientific knowledge]]
*[[Sociology of science and technology]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
*Matthew David, ''Science in society'', Houndsmall: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005 - ISBN 0333993489 - excellent introduction with case studies
==External links==
*[http://human-nature.com/science-as-culture/werskey.html Gary Werskey - The Marxist Critique of Capitalist Science: A History in Three Movements?]
[[Category:Sociology]]
[[Category:Historiography of science]]
[[Category:Sociology of science]]
{{sociology-stub}}
[[es:Sociología de la ciencia]]
[[eu:Zientziaren soziologia]]
[[fr:Sociologie des sciences]]
[[he:סוציולוגיה של המדע]]
[[nl:Wetenschapssociologie]]
[[ja:科学社会学]]
[[pl:Socjologia nauki]]