Social Sciences & Scientists Quotes
Berelson had done a major compendium of research and found that the high quality studies with very good data were usually done in studies or programs that were not very important, while the most important areas were usually informed by poorer data and less rigid studies. As an example he gave the extensive data that the defense department then had on the relative physical fitness prowess of the marines verses the other services, but had little or no data as to whether the marine was a better fighter, had better judgment in crises, was more skilled with weapons system of the time etc. The Education Department had great data on the performance of students on mathematics tests but almost none on how to teach mathematics.
On a much smaller and less damaging scale, there were some government American officials tried to intimidate, censor and if thosoe failed, ruin and discredit scientiosts who did not agree with their view of the dangers of nuclear weapons and the various policy options. Although they drove Oppenheimer and some other scientists out of government and to this day have produced scientists who will not work on government research, the laws, Constitution and checks and galances and cmittment to the Constitution be most Americcans limited the damage somewhat and unlike Russia who assassianted scientists who did not follow the Party line, the few American officials just asassinated their character and patriotism.
Commenting on many scholarly interpretations of results in social science as obvious.
Russia was very backward scientifically at the Russian Revolution. Stalin and other of the new Communist leaders realzied that they had to have Russians emprace and gain competence in science but at the same time they were worried that scientists examining Marxist so called "Scientific" analysis of economics and history might reach different conclusions and undermine the party line.
Bastiat raised the possibility that economics and social science cannot be analyzed because it follows no laws like the hard sciences. See {620083} for a modern variant.
It was not until this publication that people who suggested that discrimination and lack of education and opportunity might have something to do with the problem Blacks faced in society were regarded by many Americans as anything but left wing intellectuals.
