| This study examines theory choice in science using various sociological and philosophical theories of knowledge production. AIDS research is used as a case study by examining three competing theories for the cause of AIDS. The purpose of this study is to determine why the HIV hypothesis, the theory that a single virus (HIV) is the sole cause of AIDS, has become the dominant explanatory model over other competing alternative theories. The goal of this thesis is not to determine which etiological theory is correct, but rather to understand the various economic, political, and social factors that influence the scientific research process and, as a result, knowledge production and theory choice in the field of AIDS research. The theoretical framework of this project is made up of the following theoretical approaches: Thomas Kuhn's revolutionary model for paradigm shifts, Karl Popper's Falsification Theory, social control in science, Actor Network Theory, and discourse analysis. |
