Scientific Literacy and the Sociology of Science: New Frontiers for the 21st Century

The intellectual legacy of Robert K. Merton has imprinted the sociology of science in fundamental ways. Along with Joseph Ben-David, Merton directed sustained attention to the social systems and social factors that produce scientific contributions across society. However, as the field evolves, questions related to social diversity remain unresolved. For example, how is scientific literacy or scientific innovation generated across or within ethnic populations, geographical regions, and other social contexts? Which social factors are most salient under what conditions? By analyzing and reviewing the literature, this paper briefly assesses the core intellectual legacy inherited in the sociology of science and expands it to explore unresolved matters related to social diversity. It identifies a range of pertinent questions that must be addressed in order to expand the research horizons yet to be explored during the twenty-first century.