Ayat Mirzaie/Masoumeh Qarakhani: Scientific professionalism under constraint: Associations, expertise boundaries, and external pressure

Episode von RMZ Science Works von Robert K. Merton Zentrum für Wissenschaftsforschung · 13. Mai 2026 · 35 min

Scientific associations are often seen as neutral professional bodies, yet they are crucial institutional spaces where norms, credibility, and the boundaries of "expertise" are created and upheld. This talk explores how such organizations navigate between internal academic standards and external pressures and expectations—particularly in non- liberal contexts. Building on a revised interpretation of Burawoy's framework, we suggest a model that identifies four orientations within scientific societies: professional/disciplinary autonomy, reflexive critique, policy engagement, and public engagement. We examine how these orientations become connected or separated under structural and institutional constraints. The talk argues that common dichotomies— instrumental versus reflexive, and academic versus extra-academic—may function differently when professional activity is influenced by political risk, organizational dependence, and unequal access to resources. Although the presentation is based on an ongoing empirical study currently under peer review, it emphasizes the conceptual contribution: theorizing "professionalism under constraint" and demonstrating why scientific associations are significant for comparative STS and the sociology of professions.

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