著者

立石 裕二

出版者

社会学研究会

雑誌

ソシオロジ (ISSN:05841380)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.52, no.1, pp.103-118,154, 2007-05-31 (Released:2016-03-23)

参考文献数

36

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This paper deals with the case of the Nagara River Estuary Barrage in Japan and examines how the scientific sector interacts with the government sector and the movement sector in society and affects the social process of the problem. In this problem, the government justified the construction of the barrage based on river engineering, while environmental movements opposed it based on the results of ecological research. Here we can observe a disparity in the academic disciplines that the government and the movement pursued. When the government intends to investigate a scientific topic, it sets up a commission of scientists. Whereas, when an environmental movement intends to investigate, it seeks to establish a network of critical scientists who hold opposing views. The interactions of scientists in an academic discipline with society vary according to whether the discipline has scientific autonomy and whether the government and the movement intend to promote further investigation. It was found that both the government and the movement intended to investigate the limnology, and the research results of both entities affected the government policy institutionally, ideologically, the movement sector actively conducted research, the results of which had an influence on the government policy via public opinion; the government, on the other hand, was not eager to investigate. The interaction within a new discipline arises without institution and subsequently changes into the institutional form. Any institutionalized discipline, however, cannot represent the purpose of the movement completely, and there always remain issues related to uninstitutionalized disciplines. In river engineering, the movement sector was unable to establish a network of critical scientists because the government and scientists had a strong connection. In public economics, the scientific framework for the discussion was under construction at that time. In such cases, social conflicts do not lead to the progress of scientific investigation.