Effective Resistance of the Scientific Community to Scientific Innovations: The Case of Theoretical Geography in the (Post) USSR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/sofs2025.04.049Keywords:
scientific novelty, scientific community in a state of status quo, implicit bunker of normal science, geographical science, the impact of war on the development of science, science of science.Abstract
The scientific community can effectively oppose scientific innovations. At a particular phase of its development, it no longer requires them. They pose a risk to it. We shall refer to this condition as the “Scientific Society in Status Quo” (SS-SQ). The response of SS-SQ to a scientific innovation is influenced more by the potential threats to its stability than by its cognitive value and level of development. The concept of the “implicit bunker of normal science” has been utilized to comprehend the collective response of the scientific community to new scientific developments. Military activity significantly influences the advancement of science and technology, a trend that the author elucidates in the proposed terms. Prior to the war, the formation of an SS-SQ in the country indicated potential; however, the onset of the war revealed its total ineffectiveness and lack of value to both the state and society. This type of situation is frequently observed across various fields of scientific advancement. It is essential to identify a viable solution to the issue that has emerged. This solution is inherently individual. The author, a geographer, presents an example illustrating the evolution of geographical science. During the 1970s, significant transformations took place in the global scenery of geography. Innovative research directions have emerged, significantly transforming its image and associated with concepts of “new,” “humanistic,” and “radical” geography. In Soviet geographical science, the adoption of these scientific innovations was notably inconsistent. A narrative has emerged in post-Soviet geographical science regarding a “golden age of scientific development in the USSR”. The shortcomings of the USSR during its later stages can be attributed, in part, to the decline in the effectiveness of Soviet science once it shifted its focus inward. Scientific publications have started to be generated in substantial volumes, and bibliometric indicators are showing significant improvements, suggesting an extraordinary advancement in scientific research that is, in reality, not present.
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