Sociology of science

How is secure knowledge possible in society? This question regarding the societal conditions of science established the sociology of science. In the late 1960s, the sociological paradigm of knowledge came to the forefront with the question of which social factors determine the development of science. The focus shifted to the conditions of production of scientific knowledge. Since then, the sociology of science has been characterized by the tension between an institutional and a sociological approach to knowledge. Meanwhile, further sociological questions have proven to be highly relevant: Who possesses scientific knowledge in society? and: What consequences does this knowledge have for the members of society? This means that the sociology of science faces the challenge of reorientation: it is necessary to consider both institutional and sociological aspects of knowledge.