Scientific Specialties and Technical Systems

Abstract

Recent arguments criticizing the concept of a scientific specialty point to the need for the inclusion of nonscientists and nonacademic research in studies of the research process. The notion of a `technical system' is introduced as a concept which addresses the embeddedness of contemporary science in a matrix of other institutions. Technical systems are centrally-administered networks of actors oriented to the solution of sets of related technological problems. They are characterized by relatively large size, cognitive complexity, sectoral diversity, occupational pluralism, and formal organization. Two systems in the energy field — nuclear waste research and solar photovoltaic development — are employed as empirical illustrations of the construct. Theoretical problems in the sociology of technical systems include the operation of multiple reward structures, the origins and effects of inter-organizational relations, and the role of the state in establishing and administering such enterprises.