Editing History of science (section)

===Developments in psychology, sociology, and anthropology===
Psychology in the 20th century saw a rejection of Freud's theories as being too unscientific, and a reaction against [[Edward Titchener]]'s atomistic approach of the mind. This led to the formulation of [[behaviorism]] by [[John B. Watson]], which was popularized by [[B.F. Skinner]]. Behaviorism proposed [[epistemology|epistemologically]] limiting psychological study to overt behavior, since that could be reliably measured. Scientific knowledge of the "mind" was considered too metaphysical, hence impossible to achieve. The final decades of the 20th century have seen the rise of [[cognitive science]], which considers the mind as once again a subject for investigation, using the tools of psychology, [[linguistics]], [[computer science]], philosophy, and [[neurobiology]]. New methods of visualizing the activity of the brain, such as [[PET scan]]s and [[CAT scan]]s, began to exert their influence as well, leading some researchers to investigate the mind by investigating the brain, rather than cognition. These new forms of investigation assume that a wide understanding of the human mind is possible, and that such an understanding may be applied to other research domains, such as [[artificial intelligence]]. Evolutionary theory was applied to behavior and introduced to anthropology and psychology, through the works of [[cultural anthropologist]] [[Napoleon Chagnon]]. Physical anthropology would become [[biological anthropology]], incorporating elements of evolutionary biology.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.21438|title=The new biological anthropology: Bringing Washburn's new physical anthropology into 2010 and beyond-The 2008 AAPA luncheon lecture|first=Agustin|last=Fuentes|date=6 January 2010|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=143|issue=S51|pages=2–12|via=CrossRef|doi=10.1002/ajpa.21438|pmid=21086524 }}</ref>

American sociology in the 1940s and 1950s was dominated largely by [[Talcott Parsons]], who argued that aspects of society that promoted structural integration were therefore "functional". This structural functionalism approach was questioned in the 1960s, when sociologists came to see this approach as merely a justification for inequalities present in the status quo. In reaction, [[conflict theory]] was developed, which was based in part on the philosophies of Karl Marx. Conflict theorists saw society as an arena in which different groups compete for control over resources. Symbolic interactionism also came to be regarded as central to sociological thinking. [[Erving Goffman]] saw social interactions as a stage performance, with individuals preparing "backstage" and attempting to control their audience through [[impression management]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontosociology2ndedition/chapter/chapter-22-social-interaction/ | title=Chapter 22: Social Interaction | date=5 October 2016 | last1=Little | first1=William }}</ref> While these theories are currently prominent in sociological thought, other approaches exist, including [[feminist theory]], [[post-structuralism]], rational choice theory, and [[postmodernism]].

In the mid-20th century, much of the methodologies of earlier anthropological and ethnographical study were reevaluated with an eye towards research ethics, while at the same time the scope of investigation has broadened far beyond the traditional study of "primitive cultures".