The Social Construction of Scientific Knowledge

Producing and reproducing knowledge: Descriptive or constructive?

“…Several authors have challenged such investigations, arguing for a more integrated picture which combines social and cognitive as well as internal and external variables (e.g. Mitroff, 1974;Bourdieu, 1975 ;Bloor, 1976 ;Mendelsohn, 1977 ;Latour and Woolgar, 1978). In the above paper I argued that a model of &dquo;success&dquo; which includes the relationships between scientific agents is needed to replace the presently inadequate language of truth and hypothesis testing.…”

The Nature of Science in Science Education

“…The history of science confirms that scientific knowledge is not exclusively determined empirically. The construction of scientific knowledge (Latour, 1987;Latour & Woolger, 1986;Knorr-Cetina, 1981;Mendelsohn, 1977;Mulkay & Gilbert, 1982;Shapin, 1982) has much in common with conceptual change. This makes the nature of science useful as a disequilibrating agent in changing science teachers' views of learning and teaching.…”

The Fragmented State of Management Studies: Reasons and Consequences

“…1-2;Jensen, 1983; CJ: Christenson, 1983). Developments in the philosophy, history and sociology of science since 1960 are now beginning to affect discussions in management research, as in other social sciences (see, for instance, Colville, 1981;Laughlin, 1981;Mendelsohn, 1977;Mulkay, 1979;Suppe, 1977;Whitley, 1984a) and the earlier ideas of applying true knowledge produced by the sciences to the problem of management are no longer universally regarded as valid. Similarly, previous attacks on the management sciences for being technocratic and politically biased, whilst not ceasing (Hales, 1974), have altered to take account of changes in perceptions of science and the role of the human sciences.…”