Social Scientist. v 8, no. 88 (Nov 1979) p. 80.


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80 SOCIAL SCIENTIST

Five inter-dependent and related research tendencies have been noticed in the recent development of social studies of science and science policy: 1) humanistic, 2) relativistic, 3) reflexive, 4) desim-plifying and 5) normative. Such a survey of science policy studies is absent in Sheinin's book.

Social influence on science has been considered significant as the institutionalization of science has coincided in time with its growing national, political, military and economic importance. With this development, long-term, medium-term and current plans for developing scientific activity can be elaborated only on the basis of long-term complex prognostication. As far as the methods are concerned, quantification methods are not preferred as the modern science deals with qualitative questions* Modern mathematics also deals with quantitative as well as qualitative analysis. Hence the method should be mathematical and not quantitative.

Collectivisation for Rapid Development

On the relationship between man and organization the author believes that organization of science should become the a productive force and science activity should become cooperative and collective which is conducive to rapid development. The attention of the readers is drawn towards the contradiction between conformism and non-conformism. Any membership of a science organization, by its prime virtue, demands conformism whereas science research is incompatible with conformism. It demands non-conformism through which revolution takes place and development is accelerated.

The conflict between conformism and non-conformism is not the only contradiction in the way of the synthesis of science and organization. There are other problems which arise at every stage of the work, from the generation of ideas and the selection of projects to their complete realization. The nature of these problems is largely determined by internal factors like the division of the collective into formal and non-formal small groups, their make-up, age and the personalities of their leaders and managers,

The reationship between man and organization in science and technology is a fairly new field of study. Motivation is also studied here. The way to the synthesis of science and organization runs through the resolution of contradictions by converting th c scientific organization into a creative group yielding a measure of optimum conjuction of diversity and choice, of the personal and social goals.



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