| This dissertation is a comparative study of development of, recruitment into, and careers in, the neuroscience in the United States and China. Through analysis of first- and second-hand literature on the development of neuroscience, this study explores political and economic systems as well as social and cultural values under which American and Chinese neuroscience has become an institutionalized research field. Two case studies on brain sex differences in the United States and acupuncture analgesia in China further demonstrate that neuroscience is shaped by its political, economic and cultural contexts. The hard-core of this study is sixty-three original interviews with American and Chinese neuroscientists who represent a wide spectrum in career stage, institutional affiliation and research focus. Based on analysis of these interviews, this study explores ways in which sociopolitical systems and cultural traditions affect recruitment into neuroscience careers; and gender and cultural differences in attraction factors, pathways to science careers, research styles, and career shaping factors. This study has both theoretical and policy significance. It is well situated within current work in social study of science that examines science not as a separate entity, but as an institution that reflects and responds to its political, social, and cultural contexts. It sheds new lights on the dynamics among gender, culture, and science, and demonstrates that knowledge production is shaped by the outlook and style of its participants. Given the power and significance that science has had in our society, this study highlights the importance of bringing diversity and increasing equality in science. |
