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9780803986923 Academic Inspection Copy

Making Sense of Science

Understanding the Social Study of Science
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Science is at the heart of contemporary society and is therefore central to the social sciences. Yet science studies has often encountered resistance from social scientists. This book attempts to remedy this by giving the most extensive, thorough and best argued account of the field and explaining to social scientists why science matters to them. Making Sense of Science is a landmark book that demystifies science studies and successfully bridges the divide between social theory and the sociology of science. Illustrated with relevant, illuminating examples, it provides the ideal guide to science studies and social theory.
Steven Yearley is Professor of Sociology at the University of York; author of Science and Sociological Practice (Open University Press, 1984), Science Technology and Social Change (Unwin Hyman, 1988) and The Green Case: A Sociology of Environmental Arguments, Issues and Politics (Harper Collins, 1991); editor of Deciphering Science and Technology (with M McNeill and I Varcoe), and Protecting the Periphery: Environmental Policy in Peripheral Regions of the European Union (with S Baker and K Milton).
PART ONE: THE CORE OF SCIENCE STUDIES Just What Makes Science Special Framing Commitments: The Strong Programme and the Empirical Programme of Relativisim PART TWO: SCHOOLS OF SCIENCE STUDIES Knowledge and Social Interest Actor-Networks in Science Gender and Science Studies Ethnomethodology and the Analysis of Scientific Discourse Reflection, Explanation and Reflexivity in Science Studies PART THREE: SCIENCE STUDIES AT WORK Experts in Public: Publics' Relationships to Scientific Authority Figuring out Risks Science in Law Speaking Truth to Power: Science and Policy Conclusion: Science Studies and the 'Crisis' of Representation
"'Fluid, readable and accessible... I found the overall quality of the book to be excellent. It provides an overview of major (and preceding) developments in the field of science studies. It examines landmark works, authors, concepts and approaches... I will certainly use this book as one of the course texts' Eileen Crist, Associate Professor, Science & Technology in Society, Virginia Tech"
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