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Evolutionary psychology as public science and boundary work
- Author(s):
- Angela Cassidy (see profile)
- Date:
- 2006
- Subject(s):
- Mass media--Study and teaching, Science--Social aspects, Popular culture, Science in popular culture, Science--Study and teaching, Technology--Study and teaching
- Item Type:
- Article
- Tag(s):
- Evolutionary Psychology, boundary work, science communication, Media studies, Science and popular culture, Science and technology studies (STS)
- Permanent URL:
- http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/4t2v-kg15
- Abstract:
- This paper explores the phenomena of public scientific debates, where scientific controversies are argued out in public fora such as the mass media, using the case of popular evolutionary psychology in the UK of the 1990s. An earlier quantitative analysis of the UK press coverage of the subject (Cassidy, 2005) suggested that academics associated with evolutionary psychology had been unusually active in the media at that time, particularly in association with the publication of popular science books on the subject. Previous research by Turner, by Gieryn, and by Bucchi has established the relationship between such appeals to the public domain and the establishment of scientific legitimacy and academic disciplinary boundaries. Following this work, I argue here that popular science has, in this case, provided a creative space for scientists, outside of the constraints of ordinary academic discourse, allowing them to reach across scientific boundaries in order to claim expertise in the study of human beings.
- Notes:
- Final draft as submitted to publisher
- Metadata:
- xml
- Published as:
- Journal article
- Status:
- Published
- Last Updated:
- 4 years ago
- License:
- All Rights Reserved
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