Ideology And Science Flashcards
Why does society have faith in science?
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Why has society’s faith in society started to fail?
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Briefly explain what is meant by the ‘cognitive power’ of science.
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According to Popper, in what way is science an open belief system?
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Briefly explain what is meant by ‘the principle of falsificationism’.
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What is meant by science being culmulative?
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According to Popper, what prevents scientific knowledge from being sacred or absolute truth?
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According to Merton, who first supported scientific thinking?
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Briefly outline the ‘CUDOS’ norms that Merton states makes scientists act in ways that serve the goal of increasing scientific knowledge.
- Communism:
- Universalism
- Disinterestedness
- Organised Scepticism
What makes religion a closed belief system?
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What prevents a closed belief system from being disproved?
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Use an example to illustrate how the Azande explain misfortune.
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How do the Azande deal with a suspected witch?
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According to Evans-Pritchard, what three functions does the Azande belief system perform?
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What prevents the Azande from questioning the belief system?
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Briefly explain each of the three devices for sustaining belief systems that Polanyi identifies.
- Circularity:
- Subsidiary explanations
- Denial of legitimacy to rivals
According to Polanyi, in what way is science a closed belief system?
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Explain what Kuhn means by a paradigm.
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According to Kuhn, what is normal science?
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What happens to those scientists who challenge the paradigm?
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According to Kuhn, when does a scientific revolution take place?
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Briefly explain what interpretivists mean by ‘social construction’.
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According to Knorr-Cetina, how is sicence able to ‘fabricate’ new facts and how does she view the laboratory setting?
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How does the example of ‘little green men’ illustrate the fact that scientists are engaged in the process of interpreting the world?
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Briefly explain how each of these perspectives views science:
- Marxism
- Feminism
- Postmodernism
- Marxism:
- Feminism:
- Postmodernism:
Define ideology
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What are the four negative aspects of the meaning of the term ideology in sociology?
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Why is it inworkers’ interests to overthrow capitalism?
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What is meant by class consciousness?
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Define ruling-class ideology.
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Give three examples of the beliefs and ideas of ruling class ideology.
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Briefly explain how Gramsci sees workers as having dual consciousness.
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Define ‘organic intellectuals’.
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How do Abercrombie et all criticise Gramsci?
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Briefly outline the three features of nationalism.
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According to Anderson, why is a nation an ‘imagined community’?
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According to Marx, why is nationalism a form of false class consciousness?
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How do functionalists see nationalism?
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According to functionalists, what role does education play in nationalism?
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According to Gellner, why is nationalism a feature of modern societies rather than preindustrial societies?.
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What is Gellner’s view of the role of education?
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According to Gellner, how is nationalism used to enable a state to modernise?
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Briefly explain Mannheim’s two types of belief system.
- Ideological thought:
- Utopian thought
According to Mannheim, by whom are worldviews created?
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Why do these worldviews only give a partial view of reality?
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Accordign to Mannheim, what is the source of conflict in society?
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In Mannheim’s view, why are the free-floating intelligentsia able to arrive at a total worldview?
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According to feminists, what is the fundamental division in society?
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According to Pauline Marks, in what ways have ideas from science been used to justify women’s exclusion from education?
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Use an example to show how religious beliefs may define women as inferior.
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Give an example of a religious belief that does not subordinate women.
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