Research in the sociology of science examines science as a social process. It considers scientists as members of social groups and their behaviour in these groups or in different contexts (e.g. at interdisciplinary interfaces between different scientific fields). There are now social exchange processes of varying intensity between natural sciences informed by evolutionary theory and a part of the cultural and social sciences that is also increasingly concerned with evolutionary biological explanations of human behaviour. We want to use the workshop to take a closer look at the conditions and ways of this scientific exchange.
In a kind of stocktaking, we will address questions such as: What are the reasons for reservations and resistance to evolutionary approaches in the social sciences? And what reservations and resistance are there to sociological approaches in evolutionary research? What conditions must be met in order to create productive interfaces and utilise them constructively? What would characterise productive collaboration? What opportunities are associated with this and for which (sub-)fields is co-operation advantageous? Are there also disadvantages and, if so, for whom? What competitive situations and possibly threatening scenarios exist and what are the conflicts between the scientists? Beyond the "normal" social and economic competition in the scientific system, are there possibly additional obstacles rooted in the foundations of science, such as mutually exclusive paradigmatic orientations, different understandings of theory, methods, etc.? What would have to be fulfilled in order to be able to open up common perspectives and what demands are made on such perspectives from different (sub)fields or associated with them?

The aim is to clarify the framework conditions and prerequisites for interdisciplinary scientific development at the interface between evolutionary research and the social sciences, to identify potential competition and conflicts, but also opportunities for cooperation at the level of researchers and (sub-)fields, and to discuss current challenges and problems.

Structure of the workshop

A brief introduction to the sociology of science will be followed by group work in which some of the questions formulated above will be addressed and discussed. The results will then be presented in the plenary session and discussed in an outlook panel discussion.

Moderation and introduction

Nicole Holzhauser (TU Braunschweig, D)
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