| What
is Astrosociology?
Jim Pass
Definition
of the Field
Astrosociology
is a relatively new field defined as the study of astrosocial
phenomena (i.e., the social, cultural, and behavioral
patterns related to outer space). The field originally
began as a sociological perspective almost exclusively for
a very short time. Almost immediately, however,
it became clear that contributions were required from the
other social and behavioral sciences, the humanities, and
the arts (hereafter referred to as the "social sciences"
for brevity). Thus, from almost the very beginning,
astrosociology was intended as both (1) a subdiscipline of
sociology and (2) a multidisciplinary field that includes,
but is by no means limited to disciplines/fields such as psychology,
anthropology, economics, social psychology, political science,
space history, space law, space policy, philosophy, as well
as the arts. Thus, astrosociology is more
inclusive than merely a sociological approach!
Astrosociology in its current
form was founded in July 2003 by Dr. Jim Pass to fill a void
in the social sciences that seemed nearly as expansive as
the vacuum of space. It is intended to make space
research more balanced by adding a major focus -- the human
dimension -- to our understanding of space exploration and
related areas of inquiry such as space societies
(more commonly referred to as space settlements and space
colonies). The field of astrosociology takes a perspective
that emphasizes the study of the relationship between "outer
space and society," sometimes referred to as the "intersection
between space exploration and humanity." This relationship
is characterized by a two-way, or reciprocal, interaction
between the two and occurs at the micro, middle (or meso),
macro, global, and, at some point in the future, the interplanetary
level.
Looking Outward and
Looking Inward
Astrosociologists
do indeed look outward into space as most people would assume,
but they also look inward at how space affects terrestrial
societies. A few good examples of the latter inward-looking
perspective includes the analysis of solving social problems
with space assets, the study of the impact of technology transfers
and spinoffs on society, and the monitoring and study of social
change moving a particular social system toward an ideal type
known as a spacefaring society. Astrosociology's
inward gaze recognizes the obvious fact that most human beings
still live on Earth, but also that space exploration affects
those human beings and their social structures. In
fact, astrosociology remains relevant wherever humanity resides
as the stars will have an impact.
Organization
and Collaboration
It is abundantly clear that
scientists, scholars, and practitioners of both major branches
of science (i.e., the natural/physical branch and the social
science branch) must work together in order to achieve the
most comprehensive understanding of space exploration
and all of the related issues. We can no longer
afford to rely solely on the traditional branch of science
because the social science branch can contribute so much. We
can no longer afford to ignore the other branch of
science if we wish to advance as a species in both environments
(i.e., outer space and within "terrestrial" societies). Rocket
science is no longer adequate on its own -- the future of
humanity in outer space requires equal input from the social
science branch!
Astrosociology is
now positioned to bridge the "Great Divide" between
the two branches of science in a way that ties them both together,
allowing humanity to move forward by increasing its knowledge
about space and the place of the human species in the cosmos. Such
astrosocial knowledge will result in benefits to
humanity in both extraterrestrial and terrestrial
environments. It is well past the time to consciously
construct an astrosociological body of knowledge and related
literature through an organized and formalized effort.
Thus, astrosociologists
(through ARI and other means) seek to (1) organize both existing
and student "social scientists" interested in issues
related to outer space and (2) establish strong formal and
permanent collaborative structures with the traditional members
of the space community at the individual and organizational
levels. Developing astrosociology will benefit
the sciences, people, organizations, societies, and humanity
at large. Outer space will impact on societies
more strongly as the twentieth century unfolds, so humanity
must step up to meet the challenge of understanding it; and,
more importantly, taking advantage of it. The good
news: social scientists interested in space issues no
longer need to work in isolation. Collaboration
within the social science disciplines represents
a vital objective. In addition, students who desire
to study the various issues related to any of the astrosociological
specializations finally have a means to pursue their interests.
All members of the
space community (e.g., space architects engineers, astronomers,
and planetary scientists) who desire to broaden their perspectives
to include various astrosociological issues are welcome to
consider working with ARI in some capacity. For
example, there is a strong relationship between the fields
of aerospace engineering and the field of astrosociology in
the area of space societies. We have focused on the
physical environment for the most part in the past. We
must now begin to examine the social environment
much more thoroughly.
Astrosociological
Specializations
As
one can see above by clicking on the various images at the
top of this page, astrosociology could indeed become characterized
by a large scope of specializations. Some specializations
do not yet exist. Medical astrosociology is a good
example of this. Others, such as space history,
space policy, and space law, do currently exist in various
forms within different types of programs and departments.
Thus, it remains
unclear at the outset of this field's development whether
all, some, or none of these existing areas of study will fold
into the field of astrosociology as specializations. It
may be that some do, while others exist within other programs
and within astrosociology. In any case, these topics
have astrosociological relevance. Thus although collaboration
would become the least integrative option, even this alternative
allows experts' ideas from other fields to cross-pollinate
with those held by dedicated astrosociologists. Only
time will tell how things work themselves out.
Applied Astrosociology
For
those who prefer a practical approach (rather than a more
theoretical one) to conducting astrosociology, applied astrosociology
provides an opportunity to make "tangible" contributions
to human space exploration and related issues relevant to
social life in outer space as well as on Earth. Applied
astrosociology is defined broadly as the application
of astrosocial knowledge to the attempt to solve social problems
relevant to both space concerns and all aspects of terrestrial
social life. This definition infers participation in
the planning of space missions that involve a human presence
in some way -- once astrosociologists receive access from
the space community-- and evaluation research as well. Applied
astrosociology makes it possible to use knowledge for human
benefit and progress, to instigate social change in a favorable
direction. Space-based energy is but one example
of this. Mitigation of social problems is another
example.
Thus, the idea of
applied astrosociology is not new to sociology or
the various other social sciences. Rather, the
field of astrosociology simply carries the same time-honored
tradition forward in its new application of applied research
to those space-related issues that involve the human dimension. Undoubtedly,
practical applications of astrosociological research and practice
will prove invaluable to the progress of human space exploration
and other endeavors in space.
Read the Inaugural
Essay
Dr. Pass
formally introduced astrosociology as a bonafide field in
greater detail when he uploaded Part One of his Inaugural
Essay to the original website, Astrosociology.com,
in early January of 2004. Part Two followed in
November 2004.
Click
on a button above to read either part of the essay that first
defined a new field called "astrosociology" and
described its high level of potential for improving our understanding
of the relationship between humanity and outer space.
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What
is ARI's Mission?
Mission
Statement (from ARI Bylaws = revised on 11/14/2012)
The main
purpose of the Astrosociology Research Institute (ARI) is
to develop astrosociology as a multidisciplinary academic field consisting of the social
and behavioral sciences, humanities,
and the arts. (It may also develop concurrently into a
subdiscipline of sociology and each of the other individual social sciences). Astrosociology
is defined as the study of astrosocial phenomena
(i.e., social, cultural, and behavioral patterns related to outer space). ARI's
development of astrosociology serves to unite interested theoreticians,
researchers, scholars, and STUDENTS together so they may more easily collaborate on space
issues from a broad social-scientific perspective = that is, a concentration on
the human dimension.
This
effort includes, but is not limited to, the recognition
of astrosociology as a legitimate field by the social science
community and the space/aerospace community (including space
agencies such as NASA and ESA). ARI is dedicated to assisting
anyone interested in the development of astrosociology including,
but not limited to, faculty, students, social science scholars
and researchers, space scientists and engineers, and space
advocates. Beyond individuals, ARI will work with organizations
of various types that support the development of astrosociology
in a variety of different ways.
Related
Practical Objectives
ARI
seeks to carry out its mission in a number of different
ways that are instituted simultaneously as well as added
later to the program agenda as funding and relationships
with other individuals and entities allow in the future.
World-Class
Research and Theory Building
-- ARI
Research Associates, along with ARI staff, members, supporters,
sponsors, and volunteers, will continue their first-rate
efforts already begun that further the astrosociology knowledge
base and improve humanity's understanding of its presence
in space and the impact of space on societies on Earth. The
development of this field requires conducting pioneering
research and the construction of new theoretical constructs.
Conferences
-- ARI
seeks to demonstrate the relevance of astrosociology and
make significant contributions to space research involving
human beings at all levels of social analysis (i.e., micro,
meso, macro, global, and interplanetary) at conferences
of different types. It is important for ARI to
take advantage of such forums in order to inject the human
dimension into traditional approaches such as engineering. Attempts
to understand human groups and societies in space environments,
as well as the impact of space on terrestrial societies,
will become vital as the twenty-first century unfolds. ARI
will continue to send out Calls for Papers and endeavor
to create new relationships with the hosting professional
organizations.
Presence
in Academia
-- A core component
of ARI's mission involves various types of efforts aimed
at establishing astrosociology in academia by creating courses
in existing departments and programs, and at some point
in the future as part of independent dedicated departments
and programs. Astrosociology cannot remain relegated
to conferences alone, but must move into traditional academic
settings. Many of the projects and other efforts
that arise in the future will dedicate themselves to this
vital objective.
Student
Support
--
As
funding allows, ARI assists students to study astrosociology,
and excel in school while doing so. Forms of
assistance include providing scholarships, partial defrayment
of expenses associated with conference attendance/participation,
internships at ARI (online and eventually at ARI's physical
site), and access to academic resources.
Liaison
Program --
ARI
serves to promote students to pursue astrosociology for
term papers, theses, and dissertations through formal contact
with their faculty members and/or advisors in order to demonstrate
to everyone involved of the legitimacy of astrosociology
as an emerging academic field. Students have
somewhere to turn if faculty question their decisions to
pursue a topic related to astrosociology.
Faculty
Support --
ARI
assists faculty members and independent scholars interested
in astrosociology by providing resources to utilize in their
research efforts. ARI serves as a contact from
whom their colleagues and superiors can request information
about astrosociology and the efforts of ARI. ARI
encourages faculty to pursue astrosociological research.
World-Class
Libraries
--
Online
and physical manifestations of the ARI Library will provide
students and scholars with access to a growing catalog of
astrosociological materials useful to their research. The
Virtual Library already exists at this website -- continued
from the site called Astrosociology.com -- and
serves to provide all interested parties, from veteran astrosociologists
to newcomers to the field, with an ever-growing number of
references for use in their work.
Future
Projects
--
ARI
plans to institute a wide-ranging array of projects to assist
interested individuals and organizations in contributing
to the development of astrosociology. ARI will
provide research opportunities and supportive programs for
organizations in addition to the members, supporters, and
others with whom ARI forms a relationship. Thus,
ARI
seeks to work with individuals and organizations who wish
to assist in furthering ARI's mission in a variety of ways. Possibilities
of collaborative relationships include conference sponsorships,
curriculum development, and work on individual research
projects.
Programs
relating to the following areas remain under consideration
for the future:
• Annual
astrosociology conference
• Online astrosociology course(s)
• Refereed astrosociology
journal
• Astrosociology research
affiliations
How
Do I Become an Astrosociologist?
When
we state that ARI seeks to develop astrosociology as a legitimate
field, we refer to the process in which we are working to
move the subject matter that falls under its purview into
academic programs and departments. This means
that a big part of ARI's mission involves assisting students
who decide they wish to pursue astrosociology in their academic
careers. ARI seeks to bring space into the social science
classroom (and any classroom receptive to it) in the form
of astrosociology. We believe that a considerable
number of social science students will gravitate toward
astrosociology once academic organizations make it available.
This
mission also involves providing assistance to faculty and
independent scholars who wish to pursue astrosociology or
include it in some way in their existing research. "Astrosociological"
research has been taking place throughout the space age
on a limited, individualistic basis. ARI now
seeks to create a viable astrosociological community in
which proponents of this field can interact in various ways.
Thus,
becoming an astrosociologist involves working with ARI and
members of the growing astrosociological community to develop
this field. ARI will work in concert with a number
of different partnering organizations, including -- but
not limited to -- schools, professional associations,
advocacy groups, and research organizations.
The
Astrosociology Research Institute exists to accomplish all
of these objectives in pursuit of its mission to develop
astrosociology. Please join us as we
move forward.
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