Orthodoxy, illusio, and playing the scientific game: a Bourdieusian analysis of infection control science in the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Scientific and policy bodies’ failure to acknowledge and act on the evidence base for airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a timely way is both a mystery and a scandal. In this study, we applied theories from Bourdieu to address the question, “How was a partial and partisan scientific account of SARS-CoV-2 transmission constructed and maintained, leading to widespread imposition of infection control policies which de-emphasised airborne transmission?”. Methods: From one international case study (the World Health Organisation) and three national ones (UK, Canada and Japan), we selected a purposive sample of publicly available texts including scientific evidence summaries, guidelines, policy documents, public announcements, and social media postings. To analyse these, we applied Bourdieusian concepts of field, doxa, scientific capital, illusio, and game-playing. We explored in particular the links between scientific capital, vested interests, and policy influence. Results: Three fields—political, state (policy and regulatory), and scientific—were particularly relevant to our analysis. Political and policy actors at international, national, and regional level aligned—predominantly though not invariably—with medical scientific orthodoxy which promoted the droplet theory of transmission and considered aerosol transmission unproven or of doubtful relevance. This dominant scientific sub-field centred around the clinical discipline of infectious disease control, in which leading actors were hospital clinicians aligned with the evidence-based medicine movement. Aerosol scientists—typically, chemists, and engineers—representing the heterodoxy were systematically excluded from key decision-making networks and committees. Dominant discourses defined these scientists’ ideas and methodologies as weak, their empirical findings as untrustworthy or insignificant, and their contributions to debate as unhelpful. Conclusion: The hegemonic grip of medical infection control discourse remains strong. Exit from the pandemic depends on science and policy finding a way to renegotiate what Bourdieu called the ‘rules of the scientific game’—what counts as evidence, quality, and rigour.

Orthodoxy, illusio, and playing the scientific game: a Bourdieusian analysis of infection control science in the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Scientific and policy bodies’ failure to acknowledge and act on the evidence base for airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a timely way is both a mystery and a scandal. In this study, we applied theories from Bourdieu to address the question, “How was a partial and partisan scientific account of SARS-CoV-2 transmission constructed and maintained, leading to widespread imposition of infection control policies which de-emphasised airborne transmission?”. Methods: From one international case study (the World Health Organisation) and four national ones (UK, Canada, USA and Japan), we selected a purposive sample of publicly available texts including scientific evidence summaries, guidelines, policy documents, public announcements, and social media postings. To analyse these, we applied Bourdieusian concepts of field, doxa, scientific capital, illusio, and game-playing. We explored in particular the links between scientific capital, vested interests, and policy influence. Results: Three fields—political, state (policy and regulatory), and scientific—were particularly relevant to our analysis. Political and policy actors at international, national, and regional level aligned—predominantly though not invariably—with medical scientific orthodoxy which promoted the droplet theory of transmission and considered aerosol transmission unproven or of doubtful relevance. This dominant scientific sub-field centred around the clinical discipline of infectious disease control, in which leading actors were hospital clinicians aligned with the evidence-based medicine movement. Aerosol scientists—typically, chemists, and engineers—representing the heterodoxy were systematically excluded from key decision-making networks and committees. Dominant discourses defined these scientists’ ideas and methodologies as weak, their empirical findings as untrustworthy or insignificant, and their contributions to debate as unhelpful. Conclusion: The hegemonic grip of medical infection control discourse remains strong. Exit from the pandemic depends on science and policy finding a way to renegotiate what Bourdieu called the ‘rules of the scientific game’—what counts as evidence, quality, and rigour.

Orthodoxy, illusio, and playing the scientific game: a Bourdieusian analysis of infection control science in the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Scientific and policy bodies’ failure to acknowledge and act on the evidence base for airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a timely way is both a mystery and a scandal. In this study, we applied theories from Bourdieu to address the question, “How was a partial and partisan scientific account of SARS-CoV-2 transmission constructed and maintained, leading to widespread imposition of infection control policies which de-emphasised airborne transmission?”. Methods: From one international case study (the World Health Organisation) and four national ones (UK, Canada, USA and Japan), we selected a purposive sample of publicly available texts including scientific evidence summaries, guidelines, policy documents, public announcements, and social media postings. To analyse these, we applied Bourdieusian concepts of field, doxa, scientific capital, illusio, and game-playing. We explored in particular the links between scientific capital, vested interests, and policy influence. Results: Three fields—political, state (policy and regulatory), and scientific—were particularly relevant to our analysis. Political and policy actors at international, national, and regional level aligned—predominantly though not invariably—with medical scientific orthodoxy which promoted the droplet theory of transmission and considered aerosol transmission unproven or of doubtful relevance. This dominant scientific sub-field centred around the clinical discipline of infectious disease control, in which leading actors were hospital clinicians aligned with the evidence-based medicine movement. Aerosol scientists—typically, chemists, and engineers—representing the heterodoxy were systematically excluded from key decision-making networks and committees. Dominant discourses defined these scientists’ ideas and methodologies as weak, their empirical findings as untrustworthy or insignificant, and their contributions to debate as unhelpful. Conclusion: The hegemonic grip of medical infection control discourse remains strong. Exit from the pandemic depends on science and policy finding a way to renegotiate what Bourdieu called the ‘rules of the scientific game’—what counts as evidence, quality, and rigour.

SCIENTIFIC CAPITAL IN THE CONTEXT OF SELF-ESTEEM FORMATION IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY

Понимание факторов, которые влияют на самооценку студентов в области науки, является важной задачей для увеличения числа студентов, изучающих естественные науки, и удержания студентов в научных областях. В данном исследовании социальный капитал учащегося (например, отношения с родителями, учителями и сверстниками) и культурный капитал (например, ресурсы, связанные с наукой) рассматриваются как ключевые детерминанты убеждения учащегося в том, что наука - это область, в которой он может преуспеть. Последствия этих открытий обсуждаются в контексте научного образования и социологической теории П. Бурдье. Understanding the factors that influence students' self-esteem in science is an important challenge for increasing the number of students studying natural sciences and retaining students in scientific fields. In this study, the student's social capital (for example, relationships with parents, teachers, and peers) and cultural capital (for example, resources related to science) are considered as key determinants of the student's belief that science is an area in which he can succeed. The consequences of these discoveries are discussed in the context of scientific education and the sociological theory of P. Bourdieu.

Assessing Jesuit Intellectual Apostolate in Modern Shanghai (1847–1949)

The various endeavors led by Jesuits under the auspices to the Plan Scientifique du Kiang-Nan (Scientific Plan for the Jiangnan region) constituted a defining moment in the history of their mission in modern China. The Jesuits aimed to found a scientific capital that would also constitute the base of their East Asian mission, a project that led to a far-reaching engagement in education and sciences. The multiple projects they undertook were located within the framework of Western knowledge. The traditional Jesuit strategy adapted itself to a new context by encouraging a constructive and fruitful interaction between religion and science. Jesuit intellectual apostolate included not only research but also the dissemination of technologies and knowledge central to the rise of modernity in China. The entry into this country of well-educated, deeply zealous Jesuit missionaries along with their observations on the social and political changes taking place decisively contributed to the modernization of Shanghai and to the emergence of multi-perspective narratives about the destiny of the city. Assessing the Jiangnan-based Jesuits’ continuous efforts as well as the challenges and contradictions they met with help us to integrate the seemingly conflicting ethos of Christian mission and scientific quest into a reframed perspective of global history.

Universities and start-up creation by Ph.D. graduates: the role of scientific and social capital of academic laboratories

This paper investigates how the characteristics of university laboratories influence the propensity of Ph.D. students to entrepreneurship, and thus, contribute to the transfer of academic knowledge to society. As determinants of Ph.D. entrepreneurship, we focus on the lab scientific and social capital as well as on the business experience that Ph.D. students acquire during their training period. The empirical exercise is based on questionnaire survey data of 5266 Ph.D. students in Italian universities in all subject areas. First, we find that 6.7% of the Ph.D. graduates engage in startup activities, and thus, Ph.D. training seems to contribute to knowledge transfer through entrepreneurship. Second, Ph.D. entrepreneurship is driven by business experience, in the forms of industry collaboration and industrially applicable research projects, during their training period. Third, the lab scientific capital is negatively associated with Ph.D. entrepreneurship, suggesting a conflict between scientific excellence and entrepreneurship, but this effect is mitigated if students acquire business experience. Fourth, the lab social capital increases the chance of startup when students have business experience. We further investigate the effects of lab environment by distinguishing between startups that are based on university research and startups that are not, finding different determinants.

A DISCUSSÃO DAS RELAÇÕES ÉTNICO-RACIAIS NOS PROGRAMAS DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM EDUCAÇÃO DA REGIÃO NORDESTE(2009-2016)

Este artigo tem como objetivo conhecer a discussão das relações étnico-raciais nos programas de pós-graduação em educação da região nordeste (2009-2016) através do levantamento da produção intelectual docente, da análise da estrutura e da organicidade dos programas. Este estudo auxiliará no reconhecimento do modus operandi dos programas frente as exigência dos marcos legais relacionados à diversidade e, especificamente, as relações étnico-raciais. As discussões amparam-se na teoria de Pierre Bourdieu (2007) por meio dos conceitos de campo e capital. Para a análise do conteúdo fizemos uso do estudo de Laurence Bardin (2011) mediante a organização das unidades, dos temas e por fim das categorizações. Inferimos que o campo da Pós-Graduação em Educação da região Nordeste vem investindo em capital científico para atender as demandas sociais e educacionais da região nordeste especificamente nas questões que envolvem o debate sobre as relações étnico-raciais. Podemos constatar o reflexo desse investimento na ampliação de linhas de pesquisa voltadas para a discussão racial e para as questões de diversidade como gênero, identidades, sexualidade, movimentos sociais, entre outros, que buscam, como afirma Silva (2008), atender aos problemas da sociedade e cumprir sua finalidade com o compromisso da vida social. As avaliações da CAPES, também, refletem tal investimento quando apresentam significativos progressos no crescimento da produção intelectual desta região.THE DISCUSSION OF ETHNIC RACIAL RELATIONS IN POSTGRADCATE PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION OF NORTHEAST REGION (2009-2016)AbstractThis aticle aimstoknow thw discussion of the ethnic racial relations in postgraduate programs in education of northeast region (2009-2016) by means of the survey of techer intelectual production, structure analysis and organicity of the modus operandi oh the programs against the requirements of legal frameworks related to diversity and specifically, the ethnic-racial relations. The discussion supported in theory of Bourdieu (2007) by means of the concepto field and capital. For content analysis wemadg use of study of Bardin ( 2011) upon the organization of the units, of the themes and lastly of categorizations. We infer tha the field of postgradua te education in the northeast region has been investing in scientific capital to meet the social and educational demands of the northeast region specifically on the issues surrocinding the debate on ethnic-racial relations. We can seg the reflection of this investtment in the expansion of research lines focused on racial discussion for diversity issues as gere, identities, sexuality, social movements among others, who seek as claims Silva (2008), address the problems of society and fulfill your purposg with the commitment of social life. The ratings of CAPES, also, reflect such investment whe they show significant progress in the growth of intellectual production in the region. Keywords: Postgraduate Program. Ethnic Racial Relations. Intellectual Production. Northcast Region. LA DISCUSIÓN DE LAS RELACIONES ÉTNICAS RACIALES EM LOS PROGRAMAS DE POSGRADO EM EDUCACIÓN DE LA REGIÓN NORDESTE (2009-2016)ResumenEste artículo tiene como objetivo conocer la discusion de las relaciones étnicas raciales em los programas de posgrado em educación de lá región nordeste (2009-2016) por médio del levantamento de la producción intelectual docente , análisis de la estrutura, de la organización de los programas. Este estúdio auxiliar em el reconocimiento del modus operand de los programa frente a la exigência de los marcos legales relacionados a la diversidade y, especificamente, las relaciones étnicas raciales. Las discusiones se amparan em la teoría de Pierre Bourdieu (2009) por médio de los conceptos de campo y capital. Para la análisis del contenido hicimos uso del estudio de Laurence Bardin (2011) sobre de la organización de las unidades, de los temas y por fin de las categorizaciones. Hemos inferido que el campo de posgrado em educación de la región nordeste viene invirtigando em capital científica para atender las demanda sociales y educacionales de la región nordeste especificamente em las questiones que implican debate sobre las relaciones étnica raciales. Podemos constatar el reflejo de esta inversión em la ampliacion de las líneas de pesquisa enfocado para la discusión racial y para las cuestiones de diversidad como género, identidades, sexualidade, movimentos sociales, entre otros, que buscan como assegura Silva (2008), atender los problemas de la sociedade y cumplir su propósitocon el compromisso de la vida social. las evoluciones de la CAPES. También, reflejantal inversión cuando presentan significativos progresos em el crecimiento de la producción intelectual de esa región.Palabras clave: Programa de Posgrado. Relaciones Étnica-Raciales. Producción Intelectual. Región Nordeste.

Hierarquia social dos objetos: o capital científico das tecnologias digitais de informação e comunicação no campo da educação (Social Hierarchy of objects: The scientific capital of the Digital Information and Communication Technologies in the field of Education)

This research makes empirical tests of a Bourdieu concept for sociology of science: the social hierarchy of objects. Looking at the specific field of Education, the research sought to measure the position of Digital Information and Communication Technologies (DICT) within this hierarchy. To this end, we collected metadata of thesis defended in postgraduate programs in Education in Brazil with grade five and higher between 1996 and 2016. The data indicated the production by HEI and geographically. Also the keywords were analyzed in a Network and indicators of centrality and density were used to map the hierarchy of objects and, consequently, the distribution of scientific capital among them in the field. Empirical tests have shown that DICT and distance education, as necessarily mediated by a technology, have relevance within the field as a concentration of symbolic capital. The analysis showed that the Hierarchy formed by the technologies segment was denser than the total network and that there was a considerable weight for the distance education modality. Regarding the hierarchy of objects in the DE subfield, a certain autonomy was observed in relation to the complete field, since its objects turned to subjects more important to the modality related to the student. Finally, statements from other DE studies were compared with the research data that showed some quantitative divergences, but qualitative convergences emphasizing the same observed trends and corroborating the analyzes of this research.ResumoEsta investigação faz testes empíricos de um conceito de Bourdieu para a sociologia da ciência: a Hierarquia Social dos Objetos. Olhando para o campo específico da Educação, a investigação procurou mensurar a posição das Tecnologias Digitais de Informação e Comunicação (TDIC) dentro desta hierarquia. Para tanto, foram coletados metadados de teses defendidas em Programas de pós-graduação em Educação no Brasil com nota cinco e superior entre os anos de 1996 e 2016. Os dados indicaram a produção por IES e geograficamente bem como as palavras-chave foram analisadas em rede e indicadores de centralidade e densidade foram utilizados para mapear a hierarquia dos objetos e, por consequência, a distribuição de capital científico entre eles no campo. Os testes empíricos mostraram que as TDIC e também a EaD, por ter necessariamente mediação por uma tecnologia, têm relevância dentro do campo enquanto concentração de capital simbólico. As análises mostraram que a Hierarquia formada pelo recorte de Tecnologias chegava a ser mais densa que a rede total e que havia um peso considerável para a modalidade a distância. Sobre a hierarquia de objetos no subcampo EaD, observou-se uma certa autonomia em relação ao campo completo, pois seus objetos se voltavam a assuntos mais caros à modalidade relacionados ao aluno. Por fim, foram confrontadas afirmações de outras investigações sobre EaD com os dados da investigação que mostraram algumas divergências quantitativas, mas convergências qualitativas enfatizando as mesmas tendências observadas e corroborando as análises desta investigação.Palavras-chave: Educação, Sociologia da ciência, Produção científica, Tecnologias Digitais de Informação e Comunicação.Keywords: Education, Sociology of science, Scientific production, Digital information and communication technologies.ReferencesÁVILA, Patrícia. A distribuição do capital científico: diversidade interna e permeabilidade externa no campo científico. Sociologia – problemas e práticas, Lisboa – Portugal, n. 25, p. 9-49, 1997.BLONDEL, Vincent D.; GUILLAUME, Jean-Çoup; LAMBIOTTE, Renaud; LEFEBVRE, Etienne. Fast unfolding of communities in large networks. Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment, Trieste – Itália, n.10, p. 1000, 2008.BORGATTI, Stephen P.; EVERETT, Martin G.; JOHNSON, Jeffrey C. Analyzing Social Networks. Londres: SAGE, 2013.BOURDIEU, Pierre. Método científico e hierarquia social dos objetos. In: NOGUEIRA, Maria Alice; CATANI, Afrânio (Org.). Escritos de educação. Petrópolis: Editora Vozes, 2007. p. 33-38.BOURDIEU, Pierre. Os usos sociais da ciência: por uma sociologia clínica do campo científico. 1. ed. São Paulo: Editora UNESP, 2004. 88 p.CABRAL, Ana Lúcia Tinoco; TARCIA, Rita Maria Lino. O novo papel do professor na Ead. In: LITTO, Fredric Michael; FORMIGA, Marcos. Educação a distância: o estado da arte. v. 2; São Paulo: Pearson Education do Brasil, 2011. 443p.CORRÊA, André Garcia; MILL, Daniel Ribeiro Silva. Análise da percepção do docente virtual no ensino de música pela educação a distância. Acta Scientiarum. 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Power Relations in Science: The Bohr and Wheeler-Everett Dialogue on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

Pierre Bourdieu challenged the notions of science when he presented it as a field of peers competing for the monopoly of scientific authority. As scientific capital equals power, science disputes become disputes for power. Yet, simultaneously, those disputes occur within the internal logic and language of the scientific field. In this article, we present those ideas and examine a case study within the history of quantum mechanics, a dispute inside the ongoing controversy about the foundations of quantum mechanics. We present the Wheeler-Everett and Bohr dialogue in terms of Bourdieu’s sociology of science and discuss the insights that such ideas can bring into the history of science.