6 - An Open Disciplinary Politics

Summary

In Chapter 6, I discuss the practices conducive to an open disciplinary politics. I critique rhetorics of certainty in science (and psychology), characterizing these as dogmatic and antithetical to good science, and contrasting them with the humility, skepticism, and openness required for healthy scientific inquiry. My claim is that such openness can only occur when the broadest possible range of qualified contributors have equal standing to challenge scientific claims and practices, particularly those reflective of historical and structural inequalities. I discuss some practices conducive to such openness, focusing on recommendations from decolonizing and feminist traditions, including the centering of historical and cultural critiques of science and the privileging of marginalized and oppressed perspectives in publishing, governance, and hiring decisions. Practices like these, I argue, are integral to an open disciplinary politics, but they only become possible through active epistemic citizenship aimed at transforming disciplinary structures and practices.