The scientization of the world polity

International organizations and the production of scientific knowledge, 1950-2015

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2355757
AutoresMike Zapp (0000-0002-1055-1936, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, Johns Hopkins University, USA; Institute of Education and Society, University of Luxembourg, autor de correspondencia)
Año2018
Volumen33
Número1
Páginas3-26
Fecha de publicación2018-01-01
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Sociology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0268-5809 • E-ISSN: 1461-7242
EditorialSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0268580917742003
OpenAlexW2773706835
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas30
Referencias citadas50

While recent concepts from the sociology of science stress novel sites of knowledge production (e.g. government, industry), they ignore international organizations' (IOs) growing research capacity. Conversely, prevailing theories of IOs stress their regulative and normative influence in national policymaking, equally neglecting their scientific work. Using bibliometric data for a large sample of 1325 international organizations, this work examines, for the first time, the evolution of scientific output from international intergovernmental research organizations, intergovernmental organizations, and nongovernmental organizations in the period 1950-2015. The analysis finds a striking increase in scientific activity since the late 1980s and particularly since the early 2000s across organizational types, sectors (e.g. law, nutrition), research fields (e.g. life science, social sciences), output formats (e.g. articles, books), and geographic areas. Indeed, some of these organizations are among the most productive science producers worldwide. Additional analyses of IOs' research collaborations suggest strong cross-organizational diversity reflecting wider trends of scientific internationalization and integration. The article argues that IOs' scientization requires a thorough revision of theories of institutional change in science and research systems and of theories about the nature and role of IOs. These organizations reflect, and, indeed, spearhead, wider trends of the rationalization of social order and evidence-based global governance

Corporate governance · Economics · Government (linguistics · Internationalization · Knowledge management · Knowledge production · Management · Normative · Political science · Politics · Polity · Rationalization (economics · Social science · Sociology · Sociology of scientific knowledge · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Higher Education Governance and Development · International Development and Aid · Law

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