Ideology And Science

Question 1

Why does society have faith in science?

Answer 1

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Question 2

Why has society’s faith in society started to fail?

Answer 2

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Question 3

Briefly explain what is meant by the ‘cognitive power’ of science.

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Question 4

According to Popper, in what way is science an open belief system?

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Question 5

Briefly explain what is meant by ‘the principle of falsificationism’.

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Question 6

What is meant by science being culmulative?

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Question 7

According to Popper, what prevents scientific knowledge from being sacred or absolute truth?

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Question 8

According to Merton, who first supported scientific thinking?

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Question 9

Briefly outline the ‘CUDOS’ norms that Merton states makes scientists act in ways that serve the goal of increasing scientific knowledge.

Answer 9

• Communism:
• Universalism
• Disinterestedness
• Organised Scepticism

Question 10

What makes religion a closed belief system?

Answer 10

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Question 11

What prevents a closed belief system from being disproved?

Answer 11

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Question 12

Use an example to illustrate how the Azande explain misfortune.

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Question 13

How do the Azande deal with a suspected witch?

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Question 14

According to Evans-Pritchard, what three functions does the Azande belief system perform?

Answer 14

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Question 15

What prevents the Azande from questioning the belief system?

Answer 15

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Question 16

Briefly explain each of the three devices for sustaining belief systems that Polanyi identifies.

Answer 16

• Circularity:
• Subsidiary explanations
• Denial of legitimacy to rivals

Question 17

According to Polanyi, in what way is science a closed belief system?

Answer 17

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Question 18

Explain what Kuhn means by a paradigm.

Answer 18

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Question 19

According to Kuhn, what is normal science?

Answer 19

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Question 20

What happens to those scientists who challenge the paradigm?

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Question 21

According to Kuhn, when does a scientific revolution take place?

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Question 22

Briefly explain what interpretivists mean by ‘social construction’.

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Question 23

According to Knorr-Cetina, how is sicence able to ‘fabricate’ new facts and how does she view the laboratory setting?

Answer 23

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Question 24

How does the example of ‘little green men’ illustrate the fact that scientists are engaged in the process of interpreting the world?

Answer 24

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Question 25

Briefly explain how each of these perspectives views science: - Marxism - Feminism - Postmodernism

Answer 25

- Marxism: - Feminism: - Postmodernism:

Question 26

Define ideology

Answer 26

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Question 27

What are the four negative aspects of the meaning of the term ideology in sociology?

Answer 27

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Question 28

Why is it inworkers' interests to overthrow capitalism?

Answer 28

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Question 29

What is meant by class consciousness?

Answer 29

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Question 30

Define ruling-class ideology.

Answer 30

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Question 31

Give three examples of the beliefs and ideas of ruling class ideology.

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Question 32

Briefly explain how Gramsci sees workers as having dual consciousness.

Answer 32

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Question 33

Define 'organic intellectuals'.

Answer 33

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Question 34

How do Abercrombie et all criticise Gramsci?

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Question 35

Briefly outline the three features of nationalism.

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Question 36

According to Anderson, why is a nation an 'imagined community'?

Answer 36

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Question 37

According to Marx, why is nationalism a form of false class consciousness?

Answer 37

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Question 38

How do functionalists see nationalism?

Answer 38

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Question 39

According to functionalists, what role does education play in nationalism?

Answer 39

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Question 40

According to Gellner, why is nationalism a feature of modern societies rather than preindustrial societies?.

Answer 40

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Question 41

What is Gellner's view of the role of education?

Answer 41

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Question 42

According to Gellner, how is nationalism used to enable a state to modernise?

Answer 42

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Question 43

Briefly explain Mannheim's two types of belief system.

Answer 43

- Ideological thought: | - Utopian thought

Question 44

According to Mannheim, by whom are worldviews created?

Answer 44

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Question 45

Why do these worldviews only give a partial view of reality?

Answer 45

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Question 46

Accordign to Mannheim, what is the source of conflict in society?

Answer 46

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Question 47

In Mannheim's view, why are the free-floating intelligentsia able to arrive at a total worldview?

Answer 47

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Question 48

According to feminists, what is the fundamental division in society?

Answer 48

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Question 49

According to Pauline Marks, in what ways have ideas from science been used to justify women's exclusion from education?

Answer 49

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Question 50

Use an example to show how religious beliefs may define women as inferior.

Answer 50

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Question 51

Give an example of a religious belief that does not subordinate women.

Answer 51

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