Science, technology and society

Summary

Science, Technology, and Society (STS) is an interdisciplinary field that explores the mutual influences between society, politics, culture, and scientific advancements. Originating from various disciplines in the 1960s and 1970s, STS examines the social context of technology and medicine, challenges technological determinism, and integrates history and philosophy of science. It has evolved to include professional skills for policy-making and has seen a 'turn to technology' focusing on the social construction of technology. STS also addresses ecological and material interactions, with professional associations and journals fostering global scholarly communication.

Takeaways

• 🔬 Science, Technology, and Society (STS) is an interdisciplinary field that examines the interactions between society, politics, culture, and scientific/technological advancements.
• 🌐 STS emerged from various disciplines in the 1960s and 1970s, with a focus on understanding how society influences and is influenced by scientific research and technological innovation.
• 🏛️ Key disciplinary components of STS include history of technology, history and philosophy of science, and science and technology policy, each developing independently before converging.
• 📚 The history of technology within STS critiques technological determinism and explores the social and historical contexts of technological development.
• 🌟 Thomas Kuhn's 'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions' was influential in shaping the history and philosophy of science, emphasizing paradigm shifts in scientific thought.
• 🎓 The rise of STS programs in universities was partly driven by student and faculty social movements seeking to address relevant topics overlooked by traditional curricula.
• 💪 STS scholars often adopt an activist stance, working towards social change, particularly in areas such as gender inclusion in STEM fields.
• 🌱 The 'turn to technology' in the 1980s marked a significant shift in STS, focusing on the social construction of technology and the social shaping of technological systems.
• 🌿 More recent developments in STS have included a 'turn to ecology,' examining the co-production of socio-technical and natural elements, especially in fields like biomedicine.
• 🏢 Professional associations like the Society for Social Studies of Science and the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology support STS scholars and practitioners.
• 📘 Notable journals in STS, such as 'Social Studies of Science' and 'Science, Technology, and Human Values,' facilitate学术交流 and disseminate research findings within the field.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) studies?

STS studies focus on how social, political, and cultural values affect scientific research and technological innovation, and how these, in turn, affect society, politics, and culture.

From which decade did the key disciplinary components of STS begin to take shape?

The key disciplinary components of STS began to take shape independently starting in the 1960s.

Which institution served as a model for STS programs, and when was it founded?

The STS program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded by Elting E. Morrison, served as a model for STS programs.

What is the significance of the publication 'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions' by Thomas Kuhn?

The publication attributed changes in scientific theories to changes in underlying intellectual paradigms and was foundational in the development of programs that brought historians of science and philosophers together.

How did student and faculty social movements in the 1960s contribute to the rise of STS?

Student and faculty social movements in the 1960s helped to launch new interdisciplinary fields, including STS, which addressed relevant topics that traditional curricula ignored.

What is the difference between scholars in STS programs and those in science studies, history of technology, or history and philosophy of science?

Scholars in STS programs were more likely to see themselves as activists working for change, rather than as dispassionate researchers.

What was the 'turn to technology' in STS, and what were its key publications?

The 'turn to technology' in STS refers to the mid-1980s shift in focus towards technology studies, with key publications including 'The Social Shaping of Technology' and 'The Social Construction of Technological Systems'.

What is the social construction of technology, and how does it relate to STS?

The social construction of technology is the intellectual foundation of STS that posits technological development is influenced by society and culture, rather than being solely determined by scientific and engineering considerations.

What is the role of professional associations in the field of STS?

Professional associations in STS, such as the Society for Social Studies of Science, provide scholarly communication facilities, including journals and annual meetings, for the exchange of ideas and research among scholars, industry professionals, and policymakers.

How has the 'turn to ecology, nature, and materiality' influenced recent STS research?

The 'turn to ecology, nature, and materiality' has led to STS research that emphasizes the co-production of socio-technical and natural materials, particularly evident in analyses of biomedical and ecological interventions.

What are some notable peer-reviewed journals in the field of STS?

Notable peer-reviewed journals in STS include 'Social Studies of Science', 'Science, Technology, and Human Values', 'Science and Technology Studies', 'Research Policy', 'Science, Technology, and Society', 'Science as Culture', 'Technology and Culture', and 'Science and Public Policy'.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society (STS)

The paragraph introduces Science, Technology, and Society (STS) as an interdisciplinary field that examines the interplay between social, political, and cultural values and scientific research and technological innovation. It emerged from various disciplines in the 1960s and 1970s, with key themes including the history of technology, the history and philosophy of science, and the societal implications of scientific advancements. The paragraph also discusses the founding of STS programs at universities like MIT and the influence of social movements in shaping the field. It highlights the activist approach of some scholars and the focus on professional skills for policy-making in science and technology.

05:01

🌐 The Evolution and Professionalization of STS

This paragraph delves into the development of STS, emphasizing the 'turn to technology' in the mid-1980s, which marked a significant shift in the field's focus. It discusses the influence of societal factors on technological design and the establishment of the 'social construction of technology' as a key concept. The paragraph also outlines the growth of professional associations for STS scholars, such as the Society for Social Studies of Science and the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology. It mentions the establishment of various STS associations in different regions, including Asia, and the role of journals and student publications in fostering学术交流 and professional development within the field.

10:01

📚 Key Journals and Publications in STS

The final paragraph lists notable peer-reviewed journals and student journals in the field of STS. These publications, such as 'Social Studies of Science', 'Science, Technology, and Human Values', and 'Research Policy', serve as platforms for scholars to share research and insights. The paragraph underscores the importance of these journals in advancing knowledge and fostering dialogue within the STS community, highlighting their role in supporting academic and professional growth in the field.

Keywords

💡Science Technology and Society (STS)

STS is an interdisciplinary field that examines the interaction between science, technology, and society. It considers how social, political, and cultural values influence scientific research and technological innovation, and vice versa. The video script discusses STS as an emerging and expanding subject that draws from a variety of disciplines, highlighting its significance in understanding the socio-technical landscape. For instance, STS programs were established to address relevant topics that traditional curricula often overlook.

💡Interdisciplinary

Interdisciplinary refers to an approach that integrates knowledge and methods from multiple academic disciplines to solve complex problems or answer questions that cannot be adequately addressed by a single discipline. The script mentions that STS emerged from the confluence of various disciplines, such as anthropology, history, political science, and sociology, which developed an interest in viewing science and technology as socially embedded enterprises.

💡Technological Determinism

Technological determinism is the belief that technology drives and shapes society and culture in a predetermined way, often leading to public passivity towards technological and scientific developments. The script critiques this doctrine, suggesting that it can induce a sense of helplessness and acceptance of technological changes without questioning their societal impacts.

💡Contextual Approaches

Contextual approaches in the history of science and technology involve examining these fields within their social and historical contexts. The script notes that some historians began to question technological determinism and developed contextual approaches to understand how technology and medicine have evolved within specific social and historical settings.

💡Paradigm Shift

A paradigm shift refers to a fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline. The script references Thomas Kuhn's 'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions,' which introduced the idea that changes in scientific theories are often due to shifts in underlying intellectual paradigms.

💡Activism

Activism in the context of STS refers to scholars and practitioners who are not just studying science and technology but also advocating for change and engaging in efforts to influence their development and application. The script mentions that scholars in STS programs were more likely to see themselves as activists, working for change in areas such as gender inclusion in science and engineering.

💡Science and Technology Policy

Science and technology policy involves the decisions and actions of governments, organizations, and individuals concerning scientific research and technological development. The script discusses how some STS programs aimed to train students with professional skills needed to become players in science and technology policy, indicating the field's engagement with practical applications and societal implications.

💡Social Construction of Technology

The social construction of technology is a theoretical perspective that emphasizes the role of social forces in shaping the design and development of technological systems. The script highlights this concept as a key theme in STS, with works like 'The Social Construction of Technological Systems' and 'Social Shaping of Technology' influencing the field's understanding of technology as a product of social processes.

💡Turn to Ecology

The 'turn to ecology' in STS signifies a shift in focus towards understanding the interplay between socio-technical systems and natural environments. The script mentions this as a recent development, where STS scholars are increasingly examining how technological and natural elements co-produce each other, especially in fields like biomedication and ecological interventions.

💡Professional Associations

Professional associations in STS are organizations that provide platforms for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to communicate, collaborate, and share research. The script lists several associations, such as the Society for Social Studies of Science and the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology, which play crucial roles in fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and advancing the field.

💡Peer-Reviewed Journals

Peer-reviewed journals are academic publications where articles are evaluated by experts in the field before being accepted for publication, ensuring quality and credibility. The script mentions several notable journals in STS, such as 'Social Studies of Science' and 'Science, Technology, & Human Values,' which are important venues for disseminating research and insights in the field.

Highlights

Science Technology and Society (STS) is an interdisciplinary field that examines the interplay between science, technology, and society.

STS emerged from the confluence of various disciplines in the 1960s and 1970s, focusing on the social embeddedness of science and technology.

Ludvik Fleck's work anticipated many STS themes, and the STS program at MIT became a model for subsequent programs.

Key themes in STS include the history of technology, the history and philosophy of science, and the social implications of scientific and technological developments.

Some historians questioned technological determinism, promoting a more contextual approach to the history of technology.

The publication of Thomas Kuhn's 'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions' influenced the development of STS.

STS programs were influenced by student and faculty social movements in the 1960s, addressing topics ignored by traditional curricula.

Scholars in STS programs often see themselves as activists, working for change in the field of science and technology.

Feminist scholars within STS have addressed the exclusion of women from science and engineering.

Science, Technology, and Public Policy studies emerged in the 1970s to address the public's best interests in relation to science and technology.

The 'turn to technology' in the 1980s marked a decisive moment in the development of STS, focusing on the social shaping of technology.

Trevor Pinch and Weber Biker's work established the theoretical and methodological foundation for the sociology of technology.

The social construction of technology became a key concept in STS, emphasizing the mutual influence of society and technology.

There has been a recent turn to ecology, nature, and materiality in STS, recognizing the co-production of socio-technical and natural materials.

Professional associations for STS include the Society for Social Studies of Science and the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology.

Notable peer-reviewed journals in STS include 'Social Studies of Science', 'Science, Technology, and Human Values', and 'Research Policy'.

Student journals in STS, such as 'Intersect' and 'DCI International Journal', contribute to the academic discourse in the field.

Transcripts

science technology and Society also

referred to as Science and Technology

studies is a branch or offspring of

science studies it considers how social

political and cultural values affect

scientific research and technological

innovation and how these in turn affect

society politics and culture history STS

is a new and expanding subject like most

interdisciplinary programs it emerged

from the the Confluence of a variety of

disciplines and disciplinary subfields

all of which had developed an interest

typically during the 1960s or 1970s in

viewing Science and Technology as

socially embedded Enterprises the key

disciplinary components of STS took

shape independently beginning in the

1960s and developed in isolation from

each other well into the 1980s although

ludvic Flex monograph Genesis and

development of a scientific Factor

anticipated many of SS's key themes in

the 1970s elting e Morrison founded the

STS program at Massachusetts Institute

of Technology which served as a model by

20111 1111 STS programs were counted key

themes history of technology that

examines technology in its social and

historical context starting in the 19

1960s some historians questioned

technological determinism a doctrine

that can induce public passivity to

Technologic and scientific natural

development at the same time some

historians began to develop similarly

contextual approaches to the history of

medicine history and philosophy of

science after the publication of Thomas

Coon's well-known the structure of

scientific revolutions which attributed

changes in scientific theories to

changes in underlying intellectual

paradigms programs were founded at the

University of California Berkeley and

elsewhere that brought historians of

Science and philosophers together in

unified programs science technology and

Society in the mid to late 1960s student

and faculty social movements in the US

UK and European universities helped to

launch a range of new interdisciplinary

fields that were seen to address

relevant topics that's the traditional

curriculum ignored one such development

was the rise of science technology and

Society programs which are also

confusingly known by the STS acronym

drawn from a variety of disciplines

including anthropology history political

science and sociology scholars in these

programs created undergraduate

curricular devoted to exploring the

issues raised by science and technology

unlike scholars in science studies

history of technology or the history and

philosophy of science they were more

likely to see themselves as activists

working for change rather than

dispassionate Ivory Tower researches as

an example of the activist impulse

feminist scholars in this and other

emerging STS areas address themselves to

the exclusion of women from science and

engineering ing science engineering and

public policy studies emerged in the

1970s from the same concerns that

motivated the founders of the science

technology and Society movement a sense

that Science and Technology were

developing in ways that were

increasingly at odds with the Public's

best interests the science technology

and Society movement tried to humanize

those who would make tomorrow's Science

and Technology but this did discipline

took a different approach it would train

students with the professional skills

needed to become players in science and

technology policy some programs came to

emphasize quantitative methodologies and

most of these were eventually absorbed

into systems engineering others

emphasized sociological and qualitative

approaches and found that their closest

kin could be found among scholars in

science technology and Society

departments during during the 1970s and

1980s leading universities in the US UK

and Europe began drawing these various

components together in new

interdisciplinary programs for example

in the

1970s Corell University developed a new

program that United science studies and

policy oriented Scholars with historians

and philosophers of Science and

Technology each of these programs

developed unique identi is due to

variation in the components that were

drawn together as well as their location

within the various universities for

example the University of Virginia's STS

program United scal is drawn from a

variety of fields however the program's

teaching responsibilities it is located

within an engineering school and

teachers ethics to undergraduate

engineering students means that all of

its faculty share a strong interest in

engineering ethics the turn to

technology a decisive moment in the

development of STS was the mid 1980s

edition of Technology studies to the

range of interests reflected in science

during that decade two Works appeared in

Syria time that signaled what Steve

woler was to call the turn to technology

social shaping of technology and the

social construction of technological

systems McKenzie and white man primed

the pump by publishing a collection of

Articles attesting to the influence of

society on technological design in a

seminal article Trevor pinch and Weber

biker attached all the legitimacy of the

sociology of scientific knowledge to

this development by showing how the

sociology if technology could proceed

along precisely the theoretical and

methodological lines established by the

sociology of scientific knowledge this

was the intellectual foundation of the

field they called the social

construction of Technology the turn to

technology helped to cement an already

growing awareness of underlying Unity

among the various emerging STS programs

more recently there has been an

Associated turn to ecology nature and

materiality in general whereby the socio

Technical and natural material

co-produce each other this is especially

evident in work in STS analyses of biom

medicine and eological

interventions professional associations

the subject has several professional

associations founded in

1975 the society for social studies of

science initially provided scholarly

communication facilities including a

journal and annual meetings that were

mainly attended by science studies

Scholars the society has since grown

into the most important Professional

Association of Science and Technology

studies Scholars worldwide the society

for social studies of science members

also include government and Industry

officials concerned with research and

development as well as Science and

Technology policy scientists and

Engineers who wish a better understand

the social embeddedness of their

professional practice and citizens

concerned about the impact of Science

and Technology in their lives proposals

have been made to add the word

technology to the association's name

thereby reflecting its stature as the

leading STS professional Society but

there seems to be widespread sentiment

that the name is long enough as it is in

Europe the European Association for the

study of Science and Technology was

founded in 1981 to stimulate

communication exchange and collaboration

in the field of studies of Science and

Technology similarly the European

interuniversity Association ation on

society Science and Technology

researches and studies science and

technology in society in both historical

and contemporary perspectives in Asia

several STS associations exist in Japan

the Japanese Society for Science and

Technology studies was founded in 2001

the asia-pacific science technology and

Society Network primarily has members

from australasia Southeast and East Asia

and Ania founded in

1958 the society for the history of

Technology initially attracted members

from the history profession who had

interests in the contextual history of

Technology after the turn to technology

in the mid 1980s the society's

well-regarded journal and its annual

meetings began to attract considerable

interest from non-historians with

technology studies interests less

identified with s TS but also of

importance to many STS scholars in the

US of the history of science Society the

philosophy of science Association and

the American Association for the history

of medicine in addition there are

significant STS or oriented special

interest groups within major

disciplinary associations including the

American anthropological Association the

American Political Science Association

and the American sociological

Association journals notable

peer-reviewed journals in STS include

social studies of science science

technology and human values Science and

Technology studies technology and

Society research policy manura a journal

of science learning and policy science

technology and Society science as

culture technology and culture and

Science and public policy

student journals in STS include

intersect the Stanford Journal of

science technology and Society at

Stanford

DCI International Journal of

deliberative mechanisms in science and

synthesis an undergraduate Journal of

the history of science at

Harvard