Cary will be honored at the Community Center’s “Big Night Out” award ceremony and fundraiser on November 22.
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.
Congratulations to all University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee faculty, graduate students, and alumni that participated as panel moderators and presenters or received an award at this year’s ASA conference!
Prof. Esther Chan & Prof. Di Di, Santa Clara University – “Digital Devotion: The Tensions of Authenticity and Consumerism Among Religious and Spiritual Social Media Influencers”
Prof. Gordon Gauchat – “Science and Ideology: The Institutional Model Revisited”
Prof. Jennifer Jordan & Prof. Vijaya Tamla Rai (PhD ’22), Montana State University – “Mapping Consumption’s Consequences: Using GIS to Chart Wisconsin’s 19th Century Hopyards During the Lager Revolution”
Prof. Tim O’Brien & Prof. Shiri Noy, Denison University – “The Cultural Meanings of Science and Religion: Evidence From a National Survey”
Reggie Wynn – “I Can’t Get With That…I Like What I Like: Analyzing Taste Distinctions Among Hip-Hop Aficionados”
Pauline Brown – “The Cultural Meaning of Regulatory Science: The Shifting Role of Public Health Under Reagan and Trump”
Kassandra Thompson & Prof. Gordon Gauchat – “Guns N Books: a Comparison of Two Government Spending Models in U.S. States Over Time”
Bridget McCann – “Cool Dudes” and Cultural Capital: Extending System Justification to the Legitimacy Crisis
The 120th American Sociological Association (ASA) Annual Meeting took place August 8-12, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois.
Prof. Tim O’Brien shares exciting news that Stephen Hawkins’ article,  has been published in the journal Nonprofit Management and Leadership.