Conflict narrative, stigmatisation and strategic behaviour of religious scientists in the Argentinean scientific field

Abstract

Recent surveys show that most scientists do not perceive a conflict between science and religion. However, in many Western societies the “conflict narrative” prevails, which states that science grows at the expense of religion, and vice versa. Furthermore, evidence indicates the presence of stigmas against religion in many scientific fields of the West. Why do religious scientists feel discriminated in a field where several of their colleagues are not prejudiced against religion? Based on 22 in-depth interviews and 2 focus groups with Argentinean scientists, we show that the conflict narrative and the stigmatisation of religious scientists are present in the Argentinean scientific field. We argue that the conflict narrative is learned as part of the shared understandings of the field during the socialisation of Argentinian scientists in public institutions, where the secular norm prevails. Religious scientists adapt by strategically hiding their beliefs from their colleagues. This behaviour means that the narrative is not challenged in public, thus generating a feedback loop where the notion that there is a broad consensus about religion in the field reinforces the incentives for the strategic interaction of religious scientists.