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Integrating History of Sociology into History of Science: Language Analysis as a Tool for History of Sociology
Patáková, Markéta ; Maršálek, Jan (advisor) ; Šanderová, Jadwiga (referee)
This thesis focuses on methodological possibilities of language as a basis for history of sociology. Current professional history of sociology takes predominantly the form of institutional studies characterized by an attention to social context of knowledge production. Language orientation provides an unutilized opportunity for intellectual history - a supposedly stale alternative of institutional tradition. Development of language-based history creates a methodological position close to approaches common in history of natural sciences. Critical analysis of metaphor studies in sociology serves as an example of risks and challenges of language focus which assists us with articulation of our own methodological position. Following studies of Ladislav Kvasz, historian of natural sciences, the thesis offers methodological apparatus adapted to sociology. Key feature of the presented tool is a capability to distinguish between three levels of language of sociological theory: data, models and theory. These levels differ in functions which they ascribe to corresponding language elements and rising language powers (to constitute new objects and to integrate the ones positioned below). Application of our method is illustrated by two examples. Cursory excursion into history of mathematics in sociology...
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The Role of Non-human Actors in the Construction of Scientific Fact in Bruno Latour's Conception
Patáková, Markéta ; Horák, Vít (advisor) ; Hlaváček, Karel (referee)
The main topic of this thesis is the construction of a scientific fact as a special case of construction of reality. Bruno Latour is connected to this in several perspectives through which will this thesis capture his position. It describes his concept of science, originating from his laboratory studies, and its later embedding under the actor-network theory. In both cases, the emphasis lays on withdrawal from explanation through complex invisible forces, used by contemporary sociology. Latour refuses to explain a scientific fact through reference to outside world and society. According to him, attention should shift to the local and empirically approachable level. On this level there are collectives of human and non-human actors, who act together. Latour's conception of the construction of a scientific fact is put to test by the critique from sociology of knowledge. The strong program of sociology of knowledge understands the scientific fact as a joint product of reality and society. Non-humans (principally laboratory technology) play a key role in this dispute. Sociology of knowledge does not include them in their analysis, because they are not taken as social actors. Technology is on the other hand a core element in the construction of scientific fact in Latour's conception. Readers of this thesis will...
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Cultural Omnivorousness among Charles University Students
Kopecká, Hana ; Špaček, Ondřej (advisor) ; Patáková, Markéta (referee)
This thesis looks at the structure of cultural consumption among students of first and second year at Charles University with a focus on evaluation of the cultural omnivore thesis. According to the cultural omnivore thesis, the homology of cultural consumption and social class described by Pierre Bourdieu is no longer valid. The homology of social class and culture is supposedly being replaced by the eclectic cultural consumption of upper classes broadening their cultural consumption from the highbrow culture to middle- and lowbrow culture alike. In the first portion of the thesis, the author locates the cultural omnivorousness within the sociological context and provides an overview of existing research on the phenomenon of cultural omnivorousness. The author aims to examine, whether cultural omnivores among students of Charles University share other characteristics commonly associated with cultural omnivores, such as upper-class affiliation, political tolerance, and cosmopolitanism. Quantitative analysis of secondary data focused on cultural consumption allows to examine social class through parent's education and a battery of question on economic situation. Tolerance and cosmopolitanism has been examined through selected items from a battery on political orientation, tolerance toward groups, traveling...
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Integrating History of Sociology into History of Science: Language Analysis as a Tool for History of Sociology
Patáková, Markéta ; Maršálek, Jan (advisor) ; Šanderová, Jadwiga (referee)
This thesis focuses on methodological possibilities of language as a basis for history of sociology. Current professional history of sociology takes predominantly the form of institutional studies characterized by an attention to social context of knowledge production. Language orientation provides an unutilized opportunity for intellectual history - a supposedly stale alternative of institutional tradition. Development of language-based history creates a methodological position close to approaches common in history of natural sciences. Critical analysis of metaphor studies in sociology serves as an example of risks and challenges of language focus which assists us with articulation of our own methodological position. Following studies of Ladislav Kvasz, historian of natural sciences, the thesis offers methodological apparatus adapted to sociology. Key feature of the presented tool is a capability to distinguish between three levels of language of sociological theory: data, models and theory. These levels differ in functions which they ascribe to corresponding language elements and rising language powers (to constitute new objects and to integrate the ones positioned below). Application of our method is illustrated by two examples. Cursory excursion into history of mathematics in sociology...
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The Role of Non-human Actors in the Construction of Scientific Fact in Bruno Latour's Conception
Patáková, Markéta ; Horák, Vít (advisor) ; Hlaváček, Karel (referee)
The main topic of this thesis is the construction of a scientific fact as a special case of construction of reality. Bruno Latour is connected to this in several perspectives through which will this thesis capture his position. It describes his concept of science, originating from his laboratory studies, and its later embedding under the actor-network theory. In both cases, the emphasis lays on withdrawal from explanation through complex invisible forces, used by contemporary sociology. Latour refuses to explain a scientific fact through reference to outside world and society. According to him, attention should shift to the local and empirically approachable level. On this level there are collectives of human and non-human actors, who act together. Latour's conception of the construction of a scientific fact is put to test by the critique from sociology of knowledge. The strong program of sociology of knowledge understands the scientific fact as a joint product of reality and society. Non-humans (principally laboratory technology) play a key role in this dispute. Sociology of knowledge does not include them in their analysis, because they are not taken as social actors. Technology is on the other hand a core element in the construction of scientific fact in Latour's conception. Readers of this thesis will...
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