Scientizing the world: on mechanisms and outcomes of the institutionalization of science

Abstract Scientific reasoning has emerged as a powerful social force, particularly due to the institutionalization of science, a process that has significantly accelerated since the late 20th century. This phenomenon, known as scientization in the social sciences, encapsulates how scientific reasoning has become the dominant medium for shaping science-society relationships. Despite its growing prominence, the mechanisms and outcomes of scientization remain less well understood. A systematic search of Elsevier’s Scopus database reveals a sharp increase in references to scientization since the late 1970s, with 296 publications doing so by 2020. This study examines how mechanisms such as rationalization, professionalization, technologization, commercialization, and actorhood have driven the institutionalization of science, impacting culture, academic disciplines, and policy-making. Our findings highlight the critical need for more nuanced understandings of how scientization influences modern societies, particularly within the policy sphere, where the interplay between science and policy has substantial and far-reaching consequences.