Translating Cultures of Science

This essay focuses on conceptualisations of science as culture, drawing primarily on research from the field of science and technology studies. It first highlights differences between traditional, Western positivist views of science and more culturally oriented, constructivist perspectives. In doing so, it introduces a conceptualisation of culture that is closely bound up with notions of knowledge-as-practice. It then illustrates how the concept of epistemic cultures can help us to understand how different branches of science are culturally distinct. This is followed by an outline of postcolonial science studies, used as an example to illustrate the kinds of issues that can be addressed when we construe science as culture in global settings. The essay then outlines one way in which scientific discourses construct science, using exclusionary boundaries. These discussions of science are followed by an overview of current trends in research on translating science. Like science studies, translation studies is shifting its attention away from a focus on science as knowledge and scientific discourse as referential and towards a better understanding of the social and cultural importance of scientific translation. The essay concludes by outlining the scope for further research on scientific translation from cultural perspectives.