Conspiracy theories are immensely popular today, yet in the social sciences they are often dismissed as "irrational," "bad science," or "religious belief." In this study, we take a cultural sociological approach and argue that this persistent disqualification is a form of "boundary work" that obscures rather than clarifies how and why conspiracy theorists challenge the epistemic authority of science. Based on a qualitative study of the Dutch conspiracy milieu, we distinguish three critiques that are motivated by encounters with scientific experts in everyday life: the alleged dogmatism of modern science, the intimate relation of scientific knowledge production with vested interests, and the exclusion of lay knowledge by scientific experts forming a global "power elite." Given their critique that resonates with social scientific understandings of science, it is concluded that conspiracy theorists compete with (social) scientists in complex battles for epistemic authority in a broader field of knowledge contestation.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0963662514559891 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Temporal Aspects of Epistemic Injustice: The Case of Patients with Drug Dependence.
J Bioeth Inq
January 2025
Institut für Philosophie, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Norbert-Wollheim-Platz 1, 60629, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Scholars usually distinguish between testimonial and hermeneutical epistemic injustice in healthcare. The former arises from negative stereotyping and stigmatization, while the latter occurs when the hermeneutical resources of the dominant community are inadequate for articulating the experience of one's illness. However, the heuristics provided by these two types of epistemic predicaments tend to overlook salient forms of epistemic injustice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfrastructuring Educational Genomics: Associations, Architectures, and Apparatuses.
Postdigit Sci Educ
February 2024
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Technoscientific transformations in molecular genomics have begun to influence knowledge production in education. Interdisciplinary scientific consortia are seeking to identify 'genetic influences' on 'educationally relevant' traits, behaviors, and outcomes. This article examines the emerging 'knowledge infrastructure' of educational genomics, attending to the assembly and choreography of organizational associations, epistemic architecture, and technoscientific apparatuses implicated in the generation of genomic understandings from masses of bioinformation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBorderline personality disorder and moral responsibility.
Med Health Care Philos
January 2025
Université de Genève, Genève, Switzerland.
This paper seeks to determine the extent to which individuals with borderline personality disorders can be held morally responsible for a particular subset of their actions: disproportionate anger, aggressions and displays of temper. The rationale for focusing on these aspects lies in their widespread acknowledgment in the literature and their plausible primary association with blame directed at BPD patients. BPD individuals are indeed typically perceived as "difficult patients" (Sulzer 2015:82; Bodner et al.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIdentifying subgroups of individuals based on their epistemic stance, attachment dimensions and childhood trauma: A latent profile analysis.
J Psychiatr Res
December 2024
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom.
Background: The present study examines the interplay between epistemic stance, attachment dimensions, and childhood trauma in relation to specific demographic factors and mental health outcomes. This study aims to understand how these factors form distinct profiles among individuals, to identify those at risk of mental health concerns.
Method: Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was employed on a dataset from the general population (n = 500) to identify subgroups of individuals based on their epistemic stance (mistrust and credulity), attachment dimensions, and childhood trauma.
The Function of Memes in Political Discourse.
Topoi (Dordr)
November 2024
University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
The use of memes has become increasingly widespread in political discourse. However, there is a dearth of philosophical discussion on memes and their impact on political discourse. This paper addresses this gap in the literature and bridges the divide between the empirical and philosophical work on memes by offering a functionalist account which allows for a more in-depth analysis of the role memes play in political discourse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!