Gossip as Social Control: Informal Sanctions on Ethical Violations in Scientific Workplaces

Simple item page
dc.citation.firstpage554
dc.citation.issueNumber4
dc.citation.journalTitleSocial Problems
dc.citation.lastpage572
dc.citation.volumeNumber63
dc.contributor.authorVaidyanathan, Brandon
dc.contributor.authorKhalsa, Simranjit
dc.contributor.authorEcklund, Elaine Howard
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-30T22:36:08Z
dc.date.available2017-01-30T22:36:08Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractResearch on misconduct in science has largely focused on egregious violations such as fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism. Recent scholarship, however, calls for greater attention to forms of everyday misconduct and how scientists navigate ethical ambiguity when they are unable or unwilling to make formal accusations. Drawing on interview data from 251 physicists and biologists from both elite and non-elite universities and research institutes in the United States, United Kingdom, and India, we find that scientists are often reticent or unable to take formal action against many behaviors they perceive as unethical and irresponsible. As a result, they resort to informal gossip to warn colleagues of transgressors. Many express confidence that such pro-social gossip can serve as a means of social control by tarnishing the reputations of transgressors. Yet its effectiveness as a form of social control is limited, particularly when transgressors enjoy higher status than gossipers. We identify two types and three consequences of such gossip and assess the effectiveness of gossip as a means of social control. Finally, we consider the implications of our study for understanding and decreasing misconduct in science.
dc.identifier.citationVaidyanathan, Brandon, Khalsa, Simranjit and Ecklund, Elaine Howard. "Gossip as Social Control: Informal Sanctions on Ethical Violations in Scientific Workplaces." <i>Social Problems,</i> 63, no. 4 (2016) Oxford University Press: 554-572. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spw022.
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spw022
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/93819
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherOxford University Press
dc.rightsThis is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by the authors.
dc.subject.keywordgossip
dc.subject.keywordmisconduct
dc.subject.keywordscience
dc.subject.keywordscientists
dc.subject.keywordethics
dc.titleGossip as Social Control: Informal Sanctions on Ethical Violations in Scientific Workplaces
dc.typeJournal article
dc.type.dcmiText
dc.type.publicationpost-print
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
GossipAsSocialControl.pdf
Size:
635.75 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
Faculty Publications
Sociology Publications