Sociology of Anti-Pseudoscience

A subfield that studies the anti‑pseudoscience movement as a social actor—its history, strategies, institutional bases, and effects. It examines how the category “pseudoscience” is used to draw boundaries between legitimate and illegitimate science, how anti‑pseudoscience campaigns are organized, and how they intersect with professional interests (e.g., medicine vs. alternative medicine). The sociology of anti‑pseudoscience also analyzes the unintended consequences of these campaigns, such as the stigmatization of minority healing traditions or the reinforcement of scientism. It takes a critical but empirically grounded look at the social dynamics of demarcation.

Sociology of Anti-Pseudoscience Example: “His sociology of anti‑pseudoscience work traced how the campaign against homeopathy in the UK was driven not only by evidence concerns but by the professional interests of medical doctors seeking to limit competition—a social, not just scientific, struggle.”

Sociology of Anti-Pseudoscience by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal April 16, 2026