Continuity in Discontinuity: Changing Discourses of Science in a Market Economy

Abstract

There is an emerging consensus that we are experiencing radical change in the way that science is organized and performed. Frequently described as a shift from Mode 1 to Mode 2, this view emphasizes application, transdisciplinarity, collaboration, and accountability. This article examines the ways in which U.K. public sector scientists make sense of scientific endeavor. The data reveal that the extent to which science is being constructed varied both across and between institutions. Data highlight how individual scientists weave their own paths through the changing discourses of science, constructing new understandings that do not fit neatly into any binary framework for understanding.