City as truth-spot: Laboratories and field-sites in urban studies

被引：182

作者：

Gieryn, TF ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] Indiana Univ, Bloomington, IN 47405 USA

来源：

SOCIAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE | 2006年 / 36卷 / 01期

基金：

英国医学研究理事会; 澳大利亚研究理事会;

关键词：

credibility; field-site; laboratory; place; sites of science; urban studies;

D O I：

10.1177/0306312705054526

中图分类号：

N09 [自然科学史]; B [哲学、宗教];

学科分类号：

01 ; 0101 ; 010108 ; 060207 ; 060305 ; 0712 ;

摘要：

How does 'place' contribute to the credibility of scientific claims? The Chicago School of urban studies (1918-32) had close ties to the city for which it was named: its social scientists lived in Chicago, were affiliated with the University of Chicago, and made Chicago the object of almost all of their empirical research. In order for this city to become a legitimate source of claims about urban form and process, Chicago is textually made to oscillate between two available authorizing spaces. As a field-site, the city of Chicago becomes a found and uncorrupted reality, the singularly ideal place to do urban research, and requiring the analyst to get up-close and personal. As a laboratory, Chicago becomes a controlled environment where artificial specimens yield generalities true anywhere, requiring of the analyst distance and objectivity. The distinctive epistemic virtues of both field and laboratory are preserved as complementary sources of credibility, and Chicago becomes the right place for the job.

引用

页码：5 / 38

页数：34

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