Science as practice: a methodological critique and case study

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dc.contributor.authorChaudhuri, Ranjanen
dc.contributor.committeechairFuller, Steven W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBarker, Peteren
dc.contributor.committeememberFuhrman, Ellsworth R.en
dc.contributor.departmentScience and Technology Studiesen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:46:54Zen
dc.date.adate2009-10-06en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:46:54Zen
dc.date.issued1992-05-05en
dc.date.rdate2009-10-06en
dc.date.sdate2009-10-06en
dc.description.abstractIn this thesis, I attempt to develop the rudiments of a ’practice’ conception of scientific knowledge and activities as the basis for a suitable methodology for Science and Technology Studies. In order to do this, I examine the methodologies proposed by two sociologists who can be very broadly construed to be working within the tradition of the "Sociology of Scientific Knowledge’, Harry Collins and Steve Woolgar in the context of their application to a specific case, and attempt to develop an alternative conception by contrast. The thesis is structured as follows. I begin by describing Collins’ and Woolgar’s methodologies for the analysis of scientific knowledge development in some detail in Chapter One. In Chapter Two, I examine the application of these methodologies to the ’computer models of scientific discovery’ case (the case is of some interest because it is held to ’refute’ the possibility of the sort of analysis of scientific activities that Collins and Woolgar propose). I then use the material of the first two Chapters in Chapter Three to diagnose the shortcomings of Collins’ and Woolgar’s methodologies as illustrated by their application to the computer models of discovery case. This sets the stage for an alternative analysis of the computer models case which does not suffer from these shortcomings in Chapter Four. Finally, I develop a practice-based conception of scientific knowledge development in Chapter Five (which I derive from the material of Chapters One through Four), contrast it with the methodologies of Collins and Woolgar, and use it to illustrate and evaluate my alternative analysis.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.extentiv, 118 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-10062009-020105en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10062009-020105/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/45010en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V855_1992.C538.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 26645571en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V855 1992.C538en
dc.subject.lcshKnowledge, Sociology of -- Case studiesen
dc.subject.lcshScience -- Study and teaching -- Case studiesen
dc.titleScience as practice: a methodological critique and case studyen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineScience and Technology Studiesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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