S. Barry Barnes was Professor of Sociology at the University of Exeter. He is renowned for his foundational research into how knowledge is generated and evaluated within science, and for his examination of the credibility of scientific expertise. His work delves into the sociological processes that shape scientific understanding and how society confers authority upon expert claims.
The authors bring the perspectives of sociology and anthropology to bear on key historical developments in various fields of science, demonstrating that it is possible to study science in the same way as other forms of culture - art, music, and literature. They show that our understanding of science, and the development of scientific knowledge, can be enriched by these perspectives, and that the history of science can benefit from case studies, such as those presented here.
Over the past quarter century, social theory has diverged in various directions, highlighting differences in approach. In this original work, Barry Barnes uses this intellectual diversity to unify central perspectives in the field. He addresses a key issue for students of society: the conflict between cultural and functional methods of describing social order and choice-theoretic accounts. Instead of detailing the origins of these views, Barnes engages in a dialogue between them, uncovering their strengths and weaknesses. He advocates for a theoretical "third way," proposing an interactionist understanding of social dynamics and the emergence of behavioral norms. By applying interactionist analysis, typically reserved for micro-social contexts, to macro-phenomena such as status group formation, social movements, class politics, and bureaucratic dynamics, he demonstrates that these issues cannot be fully explained by cultural-functional or choice-theoretic methods alone. Understanding these phenomena requires examining how norms develop through interaction. Barnes presents a coherent vision of social theory fundamentals that will engage sociologists and social scientists alike. Originally published in 1995, this work is now available in a durable paperback edition through the Princeton Legacy Library, which aims to enhance access to important scholarly texts.
The Grateful Dead, one of the most popular bands of all time, still enjoys incredible relevance to this day. But let's admit it, they weren't exactly poster boys for corporate America. Or were they? For an extraordinary 30 years, the Dead improvised a business plan-all while making huge profits and pioneering practices subsequently embraced by the business world. Now, business professor and lifelong Deadhead Barry Barnes shares the 10 most innovative business lessons from the band's illustrious career, including: creating and delivering superior customer value; implementing a flat management structure; sharing your content; and more. Barnes shows how the Dead were masters of "strategic improvisation"-the ability to adapt to changing times and circumstances-and that their success lay in their commitment to relentless variation. EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT BUSINESS I LEARNED FROM THE GRATEFUL DEAD teaches readers how they did it-and what any business can learn from their long, strange trip.
Although science was once seen as the product of individual great men working in isolation, we now realize that, like any other creative activity, science is a highly social enterprise, influenced in subtle as well as obvious ways by the wider culture and values of its time. Scientific Knowledge is the first introduction to social studies of scientific knowledge.The authors, all noted for their contributions to science studies, have organized this book so that each chapter examines a key step in the process of doing science. Using case studies from cognitive science, physics, and biology to illustrate their descriptions and applications of the social study of science, they show how this approach provides a crucial perspective on how science is actually done.Scientific Knowledge will be of interest not only to those engaged in science studies, but also to anyone interested in the practice of science.
