Karin Knorr - Cetina Scientific And Cultural Thinking Research

With its arising, flourishing, declining and reviving, SSK has experienced a lot. It is valuable to reveal its character of development. As one of the named sociologists of SSK, Knorr Cetina, Karin D is always making her studies fruitful and interesting. Her studies turn from how to construct scientific knowledge to how to construct constructive institution, from the study of social constructivism to the study of epistemic cultures. Considered from the view of the development of philosophy of science, Knorr's studies transform from social studies of science to cultural studies of science. Knorr, a typical representative of the turn of SSK, tries to renovate the destruction caused by constructivism and replace it with constructive cultural retrospection. This article deals with Knorr's conversion of science cultures thoughts and puts emphasis on her studies of epistemic cultures.This article introduces Knorr's development of her science cultures thoughts, finds out the features of her thoughts, and appreciates her thoughts .The frame are as follows:First of all, this article shows us Knorr's perspective turn, behind which reasons lying are the whole background of the arising of cultural studies of science and her retrospection to the predicament of her early constructivism.Secondly, this article discusses epistemic cultures , which is the core of the article. This part involves the definition, variety, value and shortcomings of epistemic cultures. In this part, not only can we get to know Knorr's new studies of cultures, but also we can find the relations and discriminations between constructivism and epistemic cultures thoughts.Thirdly, in the third part of this article, Comparing Knorr's cultural studies of science with Rouse's, her cultural studies of laboratory with others', this article analyses the character of Knorr's cultural studies of science.Finally, this article attempts to value Knorr's thoughts of science cultures. Knorr knows well the meaning of "laboratory", and she realizes the vitality of her research lies in its practical ideal of science, dynamic practice of science with retrospection and criticism, explaining and undertaking science practically. We can get the superiority of Knorr's studies of science cultures from the above. However, Knorr's thoughts of science cultures is not perfect for the sake of her failure to solve some basic theoretical...