Talk Title
Science and Democracy: Revisiting the Institutional Model
Abstract
This talk revisits the relationship between science and democracy through the lens of the institutional model of science. Drawing on Merton’s classic formulation and recent developments in cultural and cognitive sociology, I argue that science is best understood as a norm-governed institution whose credibility depends on both normative commitments (e.g., universalism, communalism, skepticism) and epistemic practices (e.g., consistency, theorization, fallibilism). Using survey evidence on science literacy and public attitudes, I show that the cultural authority of science shapes how citizens evaluate democratic governance, with science providing a belief system for navigating complexity and uncertainty. At the same time, polarization and populist movements expose the fragility of this cultural affinity. By rethinking the institutional model, we can better explain how science sustains legitimacy in democratic societies—and why that legitimacy is vulnerable under conditions of distrust and ideological contestation.