Ideology and Science

Question 1

What is a belief system?

Answer 1

A set of ideas with different sources that can be classfied as religious, philosophical or ideological that influence individuals/social systems.

Question 2

What is science? (4)

Answer 2

There are no universal definitions, instead there are characteristics.
Objectivity
Unbiased
Empiricla evidence

Question 3

How have developments in scientific beliefs helped individuals in society? (4)

Answer 3

Fertility
Medicine
Hygiene
Education.

Question 4

What are examples of problems caused by developments in science? (4)

Answer 4

Global warming
Pollution
Animal/human testing
Weapons of mass destruction.

Question 5

What did Beck argue? (2)

Answer 5

We are living in a risk society and people have created problems without knowing.
Universal risks: we can’t escape them and they are global regardless of your background.

Question 6

How is science different from religion? (3)

Answer 6

Religion has a monopoly of truth and science doesn’t.
Religion is a closed belief system and science is open.
Religion isn’t open to questioning but science is.

Question 7

What does Popper argue and what is an example? (3)

Answer 7

Science is open to the principle of flasification where scientists falsify their hypothesis and try to prove it wrong.
Science is not an absolute truth but it can be tested and questioned.
E.G: Used to have 9 planets but Pluto is now a dwarf planet.

Question 8

What does Merton argue? (6)

Answer 8

Science has a set of norms know as CUDOS.
Communism
Universalism
Disinterestedness
Organised
Sceptism.

Question 9

Is religion open or closed?

Answer 9

It is closed as it is not open to question and claims to be perfect.

Question 10

How can science as an open belief system be criticised? (4)

Answer 10

Polyani argues that it is closed and it has 3 mechanisms to sustain their beliefs.
Circularity: Each ideas in a system is explained in terms of another idea and so on.
Subsidiary Explanations: secondary explanations like prayers not being answered because individuals haven’t been praying correctly.
Denial of legitmacy to rivals: reject alternative world views by refusing to grant them any legitmacy.

Question 11

What does Kuhn argue? (3)

Answer 11

Scientists have paradigms which is a shared way of thinking.
They reject fundamentalist challenges to their beliefs.
There are paradigm shifts which is where there is a major change om how people think which changes the paradigm.

Question 12

What contemporary example relates to Kuhn?

Answer 12

In the beginning, people didn’t want to believe that the Astrazeneca vaccine was dangerous so they got shut out. Denial of legitimacy of rivals.

Question 13

How do Interpretivists criticse science? (2)

Answer 13

They believe that all scientific knowledge is socially constructed and it is created by social groups using the resources available to them.
It is subjective and they just have to get their colleagues to believe them.

Question 14

What are theoretical criticisms of science? (2)

Answer 14

Marxists and Feminists see scientific knowledge as far from the truth as it serves the interest of big businesses and men.
Postmodernists reject the knowledge claims of science as the truth as science is a metanarrative that can dominate people’s thinking.

Question 15

What is ideology?

Answer 15

A system of ideas and ideals, which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

Question 16

What did Neo-Marxist Gramsci argue? (3)

Answer 16

Workers have dual consciousness.
They can develop class consciousness and overthrow the ruling class (counter hegemony)
But it is argued that a fear of unemployment keeps workers working.

Question 17

What did Mannheim argue? (3)

Answer 17

There are two broad types of belief or worldview.
Ideological thought: justifies keeping things as they are. It reflects the position and interests of privileged groups like the capitalist class. (patriarchy, new right)
Utopian thought: justifies social change and it reflects the position of the underprivileged and offers a vision of how society could be organised differently. (communism, neo-marxism)

Question 18

What is a free-floating intelligentsia?

Answer 18

Where intellectuals detach from their social groups and they are freed from represnting a specific group.

Question 19

How does Marxism and Nationalism relate? (2)

Answer 19

Nationalism is a form of flase class consciousness because if everyone is fighting with each other they will be more focused on their nation.
Nationalism encourages workers to believe that they have more in common with the capitalists of their own country than with workers of their own country.

Question 20

What does Gellner argue?

Answer 20

Sees nationalism as flase consciousness as its claim to have existed since time began is untrue.

Question 21

What are strengths of Nationalism? (4)

Answer 21

Brings people together creating social solidarity and collective conscience.
Inspires patriotism, promoting culture and tradition.
Maintains sovereignty and self-governing.
Inclusive ideas that unites everyone regardless of differences.

Question 22

What are criticisms of Nationalism? (4)

Answer 22

May cause conflict like Hindu Ultra-nationalism.
Sinicisation: refers to Xi’s efforts to transform religious ideas to reflect Chines culture and society.
Glocalisation: conflict in other countries can effect us in the UK.
Protectionism: everyday people suffer because goods prices have been raised.

Question 23

How can science be seen serving patriarchal ideology? (2)

Answer 23

Crasnow et al: when women enter science the patriarchal ideology adjusts to say it is gender neautral so when women fail to climb the scientific hierarchy there are sex-linked differences.
Terry: Male doctors percieved post-natal depression as an individual mental illness or ignored its existence. They subscribe to a patriarchal ideology that being a mother is a woman’s central role so they don’t acknowledge PND.