Ayat Mirzaie, Masoumeh Qarakhani (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany; Allameh Tabataba’i University, Iran)

 Scientific associations are often seen as neutral professional bodies,
yet they are crucial institutional spaces where norms, credibility, and
the boundaries of „expertise“ are created and upheld. This talk explores
how such organizations navigate between internal academic standards and
external pressures and expectations—particularly in non- liberal
contexts. Building on a revised interpretation of Burawoy’s framework,
we suggest a model that identifies four orientations within scientific
societies: professional/disciplinary autonomy, reflexive critique,
policy engagement, and public engagement. We examine how these
orientations become connected or separated under structural and
institutional constraints. The talk argues that common dichotomies—
instrumental versus reflexive, and academic versus extra-academic—may
function differently when professional activity is influenced by
political risk, organizational dependence, and unequal access to
resources. Although the presentation is based on an ongoing empirical
study currently under peer review, it emphasizes the conceptual
contribution: theorizing „professionalism under constraint“ and
demonstrating why scientific associations are significant for
comparative STS and the sociology of professions.

*recorded and presented on 29.04.2026