A small dispute in the big sociology of science

Abstract

The article analyzes a scientific controverse that arose within a professional online community of social researchers around the use of a particular research method. Using this local and seemingly small dispute as a case study, the author questions the applicability of classical sociological theories of scientific conflicts (P. Bourdieu, R. Collins, S. Shapin & S. Schaffer, M. Morgan & P. Baert). It is shown that, unlike the historically significant disputes analyzed by the classics of the sociology, this case lacks macrostructural foundations. However, this contrast points not so much to the insignificance of the case itself, but rather to a persistent disciplinary bias favoring conflicts with long-term consequences. The most productive framework for analysis proves to be M. Sokolov’s concept of academic (de)civilization, which allows interpreting the dispute as a clash not so much of methodological positions, but of different ideas about civilized debate in the absence of an external arbiter. The article demonstrates how the affective outbursts of one participant shifted the focus from the content of the method to the manner of discussion.

For citation: Suvorov, A. (2026) A small dispute in the big sociology of science. Russia’s Directions. Vol. 4. No. 2. P. 75–99.

Additional Info

Submitted: April 14th, 2026

Reviewed: May 10, 2026

Copyright: © Auhtors, 2026

Distribution: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)