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Published in:
2016 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
Cultural Science
Author : William Sims Bainbridge
Published in: Handbook of Science and Technology Convergence
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
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Abstract
Convergence of science with society will require convergence of the social sciences, because despite efforts over the years to unite them, the social sciences remain fragmented today as they were a century ago. The most notable past attempt was “social relations” centered at Harvard University, the combination of sociology, anthropology, and social aspects of psychology, but it failed rather decisively. Today, new research methods employing computer science and information technology offer the potential for a successful unification, building on prior quantitative methodologies such as public opinion research in political science and sociology. Culture may not be the only concept suitable for facilitating the convergence of the social sciences, but it is an especially powerful one in the light of Internet, and could provide the impetus for a more general partnership across the social sciences.