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Reflection: Social Construction of Science “Knowledge”

Bria Zettlemoyer
Dr. Frances Johnson
March 8, 2022

Introduction:
When it comes to the creation of scientific knowledge, it is an intricate process that is
constantly changing, but the one thing that will never change is the social aspect of it. As
current beliefs and knowledge grow and change, members of scientific communities are
constantly working together to discuss and bring forward new ideas. The purpose of this
reflective is to reflect on the change in my views on the social construction of scientific
knowledge.

Scientific Knowledge Construction-Discussion:

My understanding of the construction of scientific knowledge has grown from the readings in
this course. The order of the works I used are Kuhn’s Paradigm Shift, Popper’s Philosophy of
Science, and Scientific Writing by Hyland and Salager-Meyer.

Kuhn’s Paradigm Shift

Similar to everything else in this world, science is forever changing. It is constantly evolving as
new knowledge comes to light. Whenever a certain facet has run its course, a new one comes
to replace it.
            Description
Thomas Kuhn first identified the concept of the paradigm shift. Within the scientific community,
a paradigm is a current concept that is accepted and used throughout. When this current
paradigm has been proven to be false and no longer useful, a paradigm shift must occur and
bring forth a new, better way of thinking.
            Interpretation
In the past, I believed science to be fixed and undeviating, but I now realize that it is ever-
changing. There is always new knowledge and research being uncovered that alters the way
scientists work. In my opinion, if we do not constantly try to learn more and evolve, we never
tap into our potential to create knowledge. What is a universally believed theory today can be
proven to be false tomorrow and a new theory takes its place. For me, this thought is what
allows us to grow and become better scientists. I believe, since paradigm shifts always improve
on the previous concept, there is nothing that will come forward to slow and stop the creation
of scientific knowledge, only better it.
            Outcome
This reading showed me that even when it is not the most noticeable, the creation of
knowledge is always a social activity. Before I did not think of how paradigm shifts could ever be
a social thing, but I realize now that although we may not read something and interpret it to be
social, underneath it all, it is. When a paradigm shift must occur, scientists must work together
to create a new way of thinking. One scientist alone could never create a paradigm shift. I now
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understand why scientific knowledge must constantly be evolving. If it were to remain stagnant,

we would be stuck using old ways of thinking that are no longer compatible with new
developments. Going forward, I will be more accepting of the forever-altering ways of science.

Popper’s Philosophy of Science

Nothing can ever be proven true in this world, only false. Scientific theories are not truths, they
are only accepted beliefs until proven to be false.
            Description
Popper states that although theories can be proven to be false, they cannot be proven to be
true. The closest thing to proving these theories true is being unable to falsify them.
            Interpretation
I interpreted this piece as a way to explain that scientific theories are not set in stone, there is
always the possibility that they will be proven to be false someday. The example that helped
me understand falsifiability was that we do not know that the sun will rise every day, it is only a
theory. Until there comes a day that the sun does not rise, this theory cannot be falsified, but
that does not mean it is a guaranteed truth. I used to believe that a theory was developed and
then automatically accepted and unable to change. After reading this piece, I have learned that
scientists will create multiple theories in response to a problem. They will then make multiple
attempts to falsify these theories until ultimately deciding which fits the problem the best. In
the end, there is no theory that is better than another, they are simply unable to be falsified.
            Outcome
I now understand the strenuous process of developing a theory. It is not just creating one idea
and it automatically being applied. It is a process of elimination, coming up with multiple ideas
and falsifying them until one remains. I realize how this is just another way that the creation of
knowledge proves to be social. It does not take just one scientist to falsify a theory, but rather a
group of them. My understanding of the creation of knowledge has completely changed. I know
now that any major or minor discovery in the science community is always social. Creating new
ideas, but also falsifying ones, takes a team of scientists working together. I will apply this
knowledge to my lab classes when doing an experiment, but also in my future research. When
going about future research, I understand that I must come up with several ideas and proceed
to test them until deciding which one best fits the problem, but I also realize that I must use the
help of my fellow researchers to help me in creating this knowledge.

Scientific Writing
Scientific writing is not only about reporting lab results. It is often overlooked that writing
creates knowledge and conversation between members of academic communities.
            Description
Hyland and Salager-Meyer emphasize that scientific research is not all about making
discoveries. In today’s world, scientists care more about publishing articles and sharing their
knowledge within their community.
            Interpretation
Before, I had never believed writing to be a social activity or even understood the importance
of it in the sciences. Throughout my life, it was never expressed how important writing and
creating conversation is in the science field. Until entering college I had believed that the
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experiments and big discoveries came first and that the writing was just an afterthought. I have
learned that writing plays an equal, if not bigger, part as the discoveries. Writing is what creates
the knowledge and relays the information to the audience. Until reading this piece, I had always
thought the science field to be a solitary activity of an individual researching alone. Scientific
communities are composed of social activities, with the members always working off others’
ideas and knowledge. A scientist’s work is not theirs alone, but rather a collection of multiple
people’s works.
            Outcome
Before, I had never entertained the idea of science being a social field. My views on scientific
writing have now completely changed. Where I used to be unaware of the social aspect of
scientific writing, I realize now that research itself is a social enterprise. Researchers do not
create knowledge alone, but rather use a multitude of others’ ideas to build upon and create
their own. Having this knowledge now will greatly help me as I finish out my degree and move
on to my future career. In marine biology, it is important that I use the research others before
me have done to aid me in mine.

Conclusion:
In Scientific Writing, I learned that, although it is not widely accepted, scientific writing is a
social, knowledge making activity. Writing and publishing articles are just as important as
researching and experimenting. Kuhn’s Paradigm Shift and Popper’s Philosophy of Science both
taught me how science evolves, and the importance of it evolving. While Kuhn’s Paradigm Shift
discussed how common ways must be replaced when they are no longer compatible with
current knowledge, Popper’s Philosophy of Science explains that all theories go through an
extensive process until they can no longer be falsified, and even then, they are not guaranteed
to be true. These three pieces have changed the way I see scientific writing and the creation of
knowledge from something I used to believe to be a solitary, unchanging activity, I now see as a
social activity that must evolve to improve its ways. I plan to take what I have learned from
these readings and utilize them as I go through college.
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References

Hyland, K. & Salager-Meyer, F. (2008). Scientific Writing. In Cronin, B. (ed) Annual Review of
Information Science and Technology. Vol 42: 297-338
Wikipedia contributors. (2022, January 22). Paradigm shift. In Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:34, February 18, 2022, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paradigm_shift&oldid=1067239347
Wikipedia contributors. (2022, February 9). Karl Popper. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Retrieved 20:02, February 18, 2022, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Karl_Popper&oldid=1070907153