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

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dc.citation.firstpage554en_US
dc.citation.issueNumber4en_US
dc.citation.journalTitleSocial Problemsen_US
dc.citation.lastpage572en_US
dc.citation.volumeNumber63en_US
dc.contributor.authorVaidyanathan, Brandonen_US
dc.contributor.authorKhalsa, Simranjiten_US
dc.contributor.authorEcklund, Elaine Howarden_US
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-30T22:36:08Zen_US
dc.date.available2017-01-30T22:36:08Zen_US
dc.date.issued2016en_US
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.en_US
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.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spw022en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/93819en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherOxford University Pressen_US
dc.rightsThis is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by the authors.en_US
dc.subject.keywordgossipen_US
dc.subject.keywordmisconducten_US
dc.subject.keywordscienceen_US
dc.subject.keywordscientistsen_US
dc.subject.keywordethicsen_US
dc.titleGossip as Social Control: Informal Sanctions on Ethical Violations in Scientific Workplacesen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.type.dcmiTexten_US
dc.type.publicationpost-printen_US
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