Jerry Gaston

Scientists from Rich and Poor Countries

The state of knowledge regarding the factors promoting or retarding the growth and development of science is still in a condition of ignorance. In the first place, when we talk about growth and development we are almost always talking about the economic, political, and sociological factors that promote development. These are presumed to be the most crucial determinants, because we certainly believe that science is possible in all groups of peoples, regardless of their geographical location. The relative neglect by experts in these scholarly disciplines has resulted in our low level of knowledge.1 Fortunately that situation is beginning to change as the sociology of science is beginning to grow and mature. At this time, however, our general impressions about the state of science and of scientific development in poor countries come from unsystematic observations.2 These observations are not incorrect, but they are necessarily limited in their generalizability and applicability.