Understanding space & society
from a grounded perspective...

   [revised on 11/07/05]

Site objectives are rather ambitious.  This website is dedicated to providing a forum for academic thought, research, and action related to the development of a new subfield of sociology known as astrosociology.  The goal is to attract the attention of sociologists and others interested in the general areas of the "sociology of space" or "space and society" and encourage them to participate in the building of a specific new body of knowledge, and its related sociological literature, that is focused upon astrosocial phenomena (see definition below).  Bringing sociology into the space age is long overdue.

This effort also involves the creation and nurturing of astrosociology so that it becomes the core subject matter of courses taught in sociology (and even space science) departments in the United States and around the world.  Furthermore, while astrosociology is a sociological subfield at its core, it is also viewed as a multidisciplinary approach open to all scientists interested in "space and society" issues.  Collaboration among scientists within the social science community (in addition to the behavioral sciences and humanities) and the space community (including engineering and the space sciences) will serve to create a synergy in which we can achieve the greatest overall knowledge related to space exploration.

  [revised on 05/24/06]

astrosocial phenomena* (i.e., social and cultural patterns related directly or indirectly to outer space), including their effects on human societies as well as how other social phenomena affect them.  The generation of cultural and structural social change by astrosocial phenomena alone, along with the interactive effects with non-astrosocial phenomena, represents another central focus.  Astrosocial phenomena refers to a subset of all social phenomena.  The concept of social phenomena is thus broken down into two major parts:  astrosocial phenomena (as defined above) and non-astrosocial phenomena (which includes all types of social phenomena not considered to be astrosocial in nature). Additionally, space phenomena -- including their relevance to human societies -- do not fall within the scope of this definition until they become known to human beings.

The two-way interactive relationship between astrosocial phenomena and non-astrosocial phenomena (i.e., other aspects of society or other social phenomena) are viewed at the various levels of social reality and organization (i.e., the micro, middle, and macro levels of analysis) and from various sociological perspectives.

* Astrosocial phenomena is a new conceptualization that includes all social and cultural patterns related to space.  It pertains to all social conditions, social forces, organized activities, objectives and goals, policies, and social behaviors directly or indirectly related to (1) space exploration/spaceflight and/or (2) any of the space sciences (e.g., astronomy, cosmology, astrophysics, astrobiology (including SETI).  It includes all outcomes of these phenomena in the forms of scientific discoveries and technological applications, new paradigms of thought in astrosocial and non-astrosocial sectors of society, as well as any resulting changes of social norms and values in all parts of a given society.

Based on the foregoing discussion, any particular society consists of (1) an astrosocial sector and (2) a non-astrosocial sector; and the two parts interact to contribute to much of that society's social change in all of its various forms and influences.  This distinction becomes more pronounced, and important, as a particular society incorporates a greater number of spacefaring characteristics into its various social structures, as well as its subcultures and larger culture.  [added on 08/16/03; modified on 09/28/04]

(See the full definition and first in-depth discussion of the concept of
astrosociology available in Part One and Part Two
of the Inaugural Essay on the Inaugural Essay page).

(Go to top of page for Inaugural Essay button).

[revised on 11/07/05]

The scope of astrosociology is extended to cover the complex web of relationships and behaviors associated with the myriad forms of astrosocial phenomena (see related topics on the Submit Materials page).  However, astrosociology is also centrally focused on how astrosocial phenomena relate to non-astrosocial phenomena.  A major concern, therefore, involves the relationships and mutual influences between astrosocial phenomena and non-astrosocial (other social) phenomena and, in turn, how these interactions affect a given society as a whole.

Below are the central themes of astrosociology:

(1) the nature of the line separating astrosocial and non-astrosocial phenomena (including      how each can directly relate and influence the other) which is the basis for the following
     themes of astrosociology [society separated into two sectors];

(2) the impact of astrosocial phenomena (e.g., discoveries and new technologies, space
     policies, astrosocial activities of all types) on social/cultural change in other parts of
     society [impact of astrosocial sector on non-astrosocial sector];

(3) how the various non-astrosocial forces (including norms and values) combine to influence
     astrosocial forces in terms of direction, priority, and other aspects of astrosocial change
     [impact of non-astrosocial sector on astrosocial sector];

(4) how astrosocial activities are organized and pursued by people, organizations, social      institutions, entire societies, and global consortiums [middle and microsociology in the
      astrosocial sector]; and:

(5) how the interactions between the astrosocial and non-astrosocial sectors -- including
     cooperation, accommodation, and conflict -- contribute to the various forces of social
     change generated by society to shape larger cultural norms and values, and thereby
     future activities and priorities/policies [interactions between the two sectors].

The scope of astrosociology is indeed vast in many ways.  However, much can be gained by approaching astrosociology as a single sociological subdiscipline and multidisciplinary field, rather than as an unfocused set of concerns resulting in separate and thus dispersed scientific works and essays.  Of great importance is the goal to create a single body of knowledge and its associated literature.  Only a concentrated effort to develop a single field can result in the level of cooperation necessary to make progress in a systematic scientific manner.  These five themes are offered as a starting point for a theoretical framework which can serve to organize future astrosociological efforts.