What is the sociology of scientific ignorance?

The sociology of scientific ignorance is an academic discipline and a complementary field to the sociology of scientific knowledge that studies ignorance in and of science. Researchers in this field typically examine ignorance either as a useful tool within scientific research or as a public phenomenon affecting society and the public view of science. It helps reveal how what we do not know—or choose to hide—shapes scientific practice and public life.

What we know

• The sociology of scientific ignorance is the study of ignorance in and of science, treating ignorance as something relevant rather than a simple lack of knowledge. [1, 2]
• Research in the field generally divides into two distinct areas: exploring ignorance within scientific research itself and studying public ignorance of science. [2]
• When studying scientific research, scholars sometimes examine ignorance as a deliberate tool, such as blackboxing, which hides internal system parts to expose only inputs and outputs. [2]
• The sociology of scientific ignorance serves as a complementary academic field to the sociology of scientific knowledge. [2, 3, 4]

Where to go next

• compared withHow does the sociology of scientific knowledge study science?
• a case in pointWhat is agnotology and how does it study cultivated ignorance?
• the bigger pictureHow do social contexts influence human thought and ideas?
• how it workedHow does blackboxing function as a tool in scientific practice?
• what followedWhat impact does public ignorance of science have on society?
• an unexpected connectionHow did military secrecy delay the acceptance of plate tectonics?Although plate tectonics is a foundational geological fact today, its early development was actively delayed and censored because key evidence was classified as military information for undersea warfare.

Sources

• [1]sociology of scientific ignorance (Wikidata Q20669236) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Sociology of scientific ignorance · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Sociology of scientific knowledge · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Sociology of knowledge · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Agnotology · CC BY-SA 4.0