A Sociological Analysis of Chandrayan 2 and Its Failure

Disclaimer: Take this article in a sarcastic note.

The hard science which often posits itself superior to the much more humane social science can never come up with the fact that science being an activity of the broader boundary of the society is essentially in the domain of sociology. As sociology has already been established as scientific discipline by its founding fathers beginning from Herbert Spencer, Durkheim to Radcliffe-Brown, it's astonishing that the sociologists were deliberately kept out of this mission as if they don't have any value to add.

Science isn't possible without scientific institutions and scientific institutions are what sociologists call formal social groups. However, the formal social group isn't independent of the societal norms which exert a coercive and external influence on the individual. The Indian society which is characterized by the hierarchy of caste, a stratification system based on the ascribed system and further emboldened by patriarchy, it's not difficult to conclude that the interaction between the scientists in institutions like ISRO will strictly be driven by Brahminical norms. When such hierarchy persists, the Weberian concept of rationalization is entirely absent resulting in inefficient allocation of resources and inability to organize the division of labor on the basis of rationality.

Another reason for the failure is the blindness of hard physical science proponents that any activity in the society is directly or indirectly influenced by the prevalent social norms and when such high degree of mysticism, otherworldliness, and superstition thrive in the society, the scientific enterprise will not be bereft of those influences either. People can remember how ISRO chief even offered a puja praying for the success of Chandrayan 2 mission which clearly indicates that he was unsure of the technology being developed by him.

Last but the most significant reason was the lack of inclusion, diversity, and equity in the team of scientists of Chandrayan etc coupled with no multidisciplinary approach. The multidisciplinary approach doesn't mean combining mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science engineering, space science with mathematics and data science but the approach which beautifully integrates mundane physical sciences with humane and feminine social sciences. There was absolutely no attempt by the government to induct more and more LGBTQCT+ in the Chandrayan team to bring diverse perspectives nor roping in minorities who would have provided different perspective driven from their day-to-day practice of throwing projectiles and ensuring that they land at the right target. When such vital social realities are ignored, failure is imminent.

Government has spent thousands of crores in supporting these practitioners of patriarchal physical sciences and engineering but if they give us social scientists even 1000 crores, we will mold the society in such a way that such extravaganza will not be desirable at all and people will focus on more real things such as building gender-neutral washrooms, organizing Gay parades, women's march to the power and so on. But this fascist government will not listen to us.

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