Re-crafting Rationalization contributes to debates relating to the public understanding of science, regarding the conceptualization of the relationship between 'science' and 'the public'. It challenges the prevailing science-centred or 'top-down' framework that currently informs notions of 'public engagement' and 'knowledge-transfer', offering an alternative that remains firmly grounded in the discourse of classical social theory. By proposing an alternative version of rationalization to the standard interpretation of Weber's disenchantment thesis, this book establishes the public understanding of science as a matter of fundamental sociological concern. As such, it redefines this field to emphasize public meanings of science, engaging with a range of topics of major interest to the public and popular meaning of science, including science and religion, science fiction and fantasy, 'fringe' science and media representations of science. Combining rhetorical analysis with ethnomethodology and membership categorization analysis, the book outlines the basis of a new approach to the sociology of knowledge, in the light of which Weber's rationalization thesis is radically re-crafted in relation to studies of scientists' discourse, the rhetoric of science popularization and public usages of science. This re-crafted rationalization is applied in a series of detailed empirical studies of enchanted science (creationism and intelligent design, Scientology and reflexive spirituality, superhero comics) and mundane mysteries (Fortean discourse, conspiracy theory and media representations of 'the scientist' in the case of Jack the Ripper). Re-crafting Rationalization therefore redresses a significant shortcoming in contemporary social theory, which currently overlooks or misrepresents important public meanings of science, whilst excluding popular culture from attention. With profound implications for the ways in which we make sense of developments involving science, this book will be of interest not only to sociologists and social theorists, but also to those interested in popular culture and subcultures and the history, philosophy and sociology of science.

Re-crafting Rationalization contributes to debates relating to the public understanding of science, regarding the conceptualization of the relationship between 'science' and 'the public'. It challenges the prevailing science-centred or 'top-down' framework that currently informs notions of 'public engagement' and 'knowledge-transfer', offering an alternative that remains firmly grounded in the discourse of classical social theory. By proposing an alternative version of rationalization to the standard interpretation of Weber's disenchantment thesis, this book establishes the public understanding of science as a matter of fundamental sociological concern. As such, it redefines this field to emphasize public meanings of science, engaging with a range of topics of major interest to the public and popular meaning of science, including science and religion, science fiction and fantasy, 'fringe' science and media representations of science. Combining rhetorical analysis with ethnomethodology and membership categorization analysis, the book outlines the basis of a new approach to the sociology of knowledge, in the light of which Weber's rationalization thesis is radically re-crafted in relation to studies of scientists' discourse, the rhetoric of science popularization and public usages of science. This re-crafted rationalization is applied in a series of detailed empirical studies of enchanted science (creationism and intelligent design, Scientology and reflexive spirituality, superhero comics) and mundane mysteries (Fortean discourse, conspiracy theory and media representations of 'the scientist' in the case of Jack the Ripper). Re-crafting Rationalization therefore redresses a significant shortcoming in contemporary social theory, which currently overlooks or misrepresents important public meanings of science, whilst excluding popular culture from attention. With profound implications for the ways in which we make sense of developments involving science, this book will be of interest not only to sociologists and social theorists, but also to those interested in popular culture and subcultures and the history, philosophy and sociology of science.

In "Constructing the Beginning," Simon Locke offers a new approach to considering the enigma of creation science, using the perspective of discourse analysis. Using the publications of the British Creation Science Movement to perform a detailed analysis of the creationist case, Locke demonstrates that the discourses and rhetorics used by natural and social scientists are also employed by non-scientists. Out of this study, a view of science as a cultural resource develops, questioning the adequacy of perceived sociological wisdom that sees science as the source and emmbodiment of cultural "rationalization."
As a case study of the use of science as a discursive resource in everyday life, "Constructing the Beginning" speaks to scholars of discourse analysis, constructionism, rhetorics, and the public understanding of science. It will also be of great interest to scholars in the areas of cultural studies, sociology of scientific knowledge and of religion, postmodernism, and sociological theory.
Additional Copy
Creation science is the target of much attack these days from both within and outside of the orthodox scientific community. This book, however, takes a different approach. It is not an attack on creationism; nor is it a defense. The author's interest is not in creationism at all, but rather, it is in the questions of the role and significance of science in modernity or the public understanding of science. Locke's approach to this issue is a discursive and rhetorical one. Creationism is treated as a case study of the argumentative engagement between science and non-science which--in his view--is as central to the commonsense lifeworld of modernity as much as it is to the lives of its intellectuals. An important dimension of the public meaning of science in modernity is its limits and its relations with other modes of thought and belief, which continue to survive as discourses in the wider culture. Creationism is merely one example of this general feature.
The book begins with a discussion of the current issues in the public understanding of science in relation to traditional sociological views of the impact of science on modernity. This is examined through rationalization and the contrasting view derived from the sociology of scientific knowledge which points to the likelihood of a much more complex and variable relationship than rationalization proposes. It continues with an argument and detailed analysis that focuses on three main points:
*the problem of a competing account of reality (the world), in the form of evolution;
*the problem of competing accounts of the Bible (the Word), in the form of different versions of Christianity; and
*the realization that both of these problems must be managed together in such a way that creationists' own version(s) of the world and of the Word are compatible--a compatibility achieved through a "discursive syncretism."
The final chapter brings together the strands of the argument to further develop the implications of the dilemma of science for the public understanding of science through the idea of "science as a cultural resource" and its possible relation to other such cultural resources within modernity--such as Christianity. It is suggested that much so-called "anti-science" could be made sense of in these terms and proposes further research in this direction.

In "Constructing the Beginning," Simon Locke offers a new approach to considering the enigma of creation science, using the perspective of discourse analysis. Using the publications of the British Creation Science Movement to perform a detailed analysis of the creationist case, Locke demonstrates that the discourses and rhetorics used by natural and social scientists are also employed by non-scientists. Out of this study, a view of science as a cultural resource develops, questioning the adequacy of perceived sociological wisdom that sees science as the source and emmbodiment of cultural "rationalization."
As a case study of the use of science as a discursive resource in everyday life, "Constructing the Beginning" speaks to scholars of discourse analysis, constructionism, rhetorics, and the public understanding of science. It will also be of great interest to scholars in the areas of cultural studies, sociology of scientific knowledge and of religion, postmodernism, and sociological theory.
Additional Copy
Creation science is the target of much attack these days from both within and outside of the orthodox scientific community. This book, however, takes a different approach. It is not an attack on creationism; nor is it a defense. The author's interest is not in creationism at all, but rather, it is in the questions of the role and significance of science in modernity or the public understanding of science. Locke's approach to this issue is a discursive and rhetorical one. Creationism is treated as a case study of the argumentative engagement between science and non-science which--in his view--is as central to the commonsense lifeworld of modernity as much as it is to the lives of its intellectuals. An important dimension of the public meaning of science in modernity is its limits and its relations with other modes of thought and belief, which continue to survive as discourses in the wider culture. Creationism is merely one example of this general feature.
The book begins with a discussion of the current issues in the public understanding of science in relation to traditional sociological views of the impact of science on modernity. This is examined through rationalization and the contrasting view derived from the sociology of scientific knowledge which points to the likelihood of a much more complex and variable relationship than rationalization proposes. It continues with an argument and detailed analysis that focuses on three main points:
*the problem of a competing account of reality (the world), in the form of evolution;
*the problem of competing accounts of the Bible (the Word), in the form of different versions of Christianity; and
*the realization that both of these problems must be managed together in such a way that creationists' own version(s) of the world and of the Word are compatible--a compatibility achieved through a "discursive syncretism."
The final chapter brings together the strands of the argument to further develop the implications of the dilemma of science for the public understanding of science through the idea of "science as a cultural resource" and its possible relation to other such cultural resources within modernity--such as Christianity. It is suggested that much so-called "anti-science" could be made sense of in these terms and proposes further research in this direction.