Basically, science is incapable of introspection, at least at this moment in time. But a good scientist will make good science out of any social subject.
Academic scientific activity is still mostly a social activity because it is done through the communities and the social interaction between scientists and institutions. Specific problems may be solved by specific brains or groups of brains, but the output and the collaboration is all social. The rewards and incentives are all social systems. And at the end of the day, any time we write a blog or post a comment, it's all social. This is social.
But the disdain for social sciences by non-social scientists is discrimination only warranted to the extent they can avoid social and professional interactions with them, and feel immune from any criticism for their bigotry. The moment a scientist wishes to study the social aspects of science itself, they have no choice but to accept social science as a science.
But this is okay because reputation has no consequence in problem solving, because reputation is a social device, and not a solvent. The track record of a field, a department of an institution, the history of publications, or the publications of an individual social scientist are all largely irrelevant when faced with your own research targets. The only thing relevant is the available data and the premises chosen for any model. There is no need to criticize the scientific integrity of the work of others if you can do better. Do it yourself if you have to.
Academic scientific activity is still mostly a social activity because it is done through the communities and the social interaction between scientists and institutions. Specific problems may be solved by specific brains or groups of brains, but the output and the collaboration is all social. The rewards and incentives are all social systems. And at the end of the day, any time we write a blog or post a comment, it's all social. This is social.
But the disdain for social sciences by non-social scientists is discrimination only warranted to the extent they can avoid social and professional interactions with them, and feel immune from any criticism for their bigotry. The moment a scientist wishes to study the social aspects of science itself, they have no choice but to accept social science as a science.
But this is okay because reputation has no consequence in problem solving, because reputation is a social device, and not a solvent. The track record of a field, a department of an institution, the history of publications, or the publications of an individual social scientist are all largely irrelevant when faced with your own research targets. The only thing relevant is the available data and the premises chosen for any model. There is no need to criticize the scientific integrity of the work of others if you can do better. Do it yourself if you have to.