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This book argues that the power of science as the most respected and authoritative world view is based on its superior material and organizational resources, not on its superior rationality. Fuchs approaches science as a social construct, and utilizing a theory of scientific organizations, he analyzes knowledge production in scientific fields - how they differ in their resources and how these differences affect how science is conducted. The book explains why certain fields produce science and facts, while others engage in hermeneutics and conversation; why certain specialities change through cumulation rather than fragmentation; and why some fields are relativistic while others are positivist in their self-understanding. This general theory of knowledge is applicable not only to science, but to all varieties of professional groups engaged in knowledge production.

Knowledge, Sociology of. --- Science --- Science and society --- Sociology of science --- Knowledge, Theory of (Sociology) --- Sociology of knowledge --- Communication --- Knowledge, Theory of --- Public opinion --- Sociology --- Social epistemology --- Social aspects.

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Beyond the Science Wars offers a broad contextualization of the "Science Wars" -- an ongoing debate between scientists and social scientists over the nature and meaning of science -- from interdisciplinary sociological, historical, scientific, political, and cultural perspectives. Beyond providing an understanding of the conflict itself, this book presents the comments of two science and technology studies' (STS) "founding fathers" (Bernard Barber and John Ziman), a scientist's protest that STS has abandoned its original mission, a historian's view of the fluctuating social support for science, and a sociologist's analysis of the motives of "anti-antiscience warriors." In addition, an STS statesman discusses ongoing structural changes in science, a sociologist sorts out different views of objectivity, and an STS veteran from the Science Wars brings us tales from the front and evaluates the meaning of recent events.

Theory of knowledge --- Science and state. --- Science --- Social aspects. --- Sciences --- Politique scientifique et technique --- Aspect social --- Science and state --- Science and society --- Sociology of science --- Science policy --- State and science --- State, The --- Social aspects --- Government policy