DESCRIPTION:
The sociology of knowledge is the study of ideas--statements about reality. Ideas may be spoken, written, or gestured, and they may refer to anything which is said to exist, from people to planets to God. The task of the sociology of knowledge is to explain variation in these ideas, including variation in form (How is knowledge expressed? Does knowledge flow in one direction, as in a lecture, or in two directions, as in a conversation?), variation in content (What does the idea say? Who is gossiped about? Is there one God, or many, or none?), variation in success (Which ideas are taken seriously? Which sources are called geniuses and which are called mad?) and variation in diffusion (How do ideas travel along social networks? Will the rumor spread to the whole community?).
The goal of this course is to familiarize students with theoretical and empirical work on the behavior of ideas, and to convey the major accomplishments, shortcomings, and prospects of the subfield.
Though the course aims for a high level of generality, much of the relevant literature deals with modern science. Thus students will also gain some familiarity with the history and philosophy of science, as well as its workings as an institution.
1. Introduction
2. Foundations
3. Mertonian Sociology of Science
4. Sociology of Scientific Knowledge
5. Geometry of Knowledge
6. Beyond Science7. The Supernatural
8. Creativity
9. Diffusion
10. Gossip
11. Rumor
12. Evolution of Knowledge13. Conclusions