Science, Technology

and Society
MODULE # 1
 What is Science, Technology and Society?

Science, Technology and Society (STS) is an interdisciplinary field

that studies the conditions under which the production, distribution
and utilization of scientific knowledge and technological systems
occur; the consequences of these activities upon different groups of
people. STS builds on the history and philosophy of science and
technology, sociology and anthropology, policy studies, and cultural
and literary studies; all of which shape the modes of analysis
deployed in the field.
 Why Study Science, Technology and
Society?
The use of science and technology in our everyday life is so
pervasive. Almost everything that we eat, wear, and use are products of
scientific and technological undertakings. However, there are also
problematic impacts of science and technological innovations on society that
need to be identified and explored. The ways human have responded to these
developments and to what effects also deserve serious consideration in
assessing the significance of science and technology in modern society.
The Importance of Science and Technology in
Contemporary Society
• Military Power- The outcome of world war II depended heavily on the
superior scientific and technological capabilitiesof the United States and
its allies. Today those technical resources remain vital to the national
security of many governments. One indication of the continuing perceived
military importance of science nd technology is that in 1988, about three
quarters of the approximately $60 billion U.S federal government research
and development budget went for military related projects.
The Importance of Science and Technology in
Contemporary Society
• Economic Strength- Since the conclusion of the Civil War, technology has
played a major roles in increasing productivity. Technological change is
credited for almost half of the increase in productivity. Since World War II, a
contribution far greater that those of capital, education, resource allocation, or
economies of scale.
High Technology goods-specifically, commercial aircraft and products int the
semiconductor, computer and office equipment sector were along with chemicals
and crops, among the few bright spots. Such facts underscore the central
importance of science and technology in contemporary economy.
 The Importance of Science and Technology in
Contemporary Society
• Medical Well-being- Science and Technology have also played an
important role in greatly increasing the scope and efficacy of medical care
in the century, from advance in diagnosis and surgery to vaccines,
therapeutic drugs prosthetic devices and rehabilitative apparatus.
Reflect Yourself!
• You have seen the great impact and influence of science and technology in
our everyday life. Think back to your personal life. Can you remember a
situation where the quality of life improved markedly as a result of
military strenght, economic well-being and medical advances? The
subtatial individual and public health benefits afforded by technical
advances achieved in recent decades are widely recognized and highly
valued in contemporary individual societies. However, the problems
brought about these scientific and technological advances should also be
considered.
 Why is Science and Technology a subject of
Vital Practical as well as Academic Importance?
• Notable examples of human scientific and technological successes include the
landing on the moon, polio vaccines, civilian jets aircraft transportation, the
discovery of the double helical structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the Green
revolution, antibiotics, the personal computer and the confirmation of the Big Bang
Theory as the origin of the universe.
• The failure sides includes the Bhopal, Chernobyl and the Challenger space-shuttle
disaster, the pesticide DDT, the ford pinto, building collapses and airplane crashes
traceable to defective engineering and various forms of environmental degradation of
human disease caused in part by irresponsible scientific and technological practices.
 Notable Failures That Have Increased Public
Interest
• Threats to Human Survival- The social significance of science and
technology in the contemporary era rests to no small degree on threats to
human survival posted by the development or use of some pote products.
These include nuclear weapons. producs for chemical or biological
warfare, toxic or lethal by-products of manufacturing or energy-generation
processes, and products that threaten the viability of the ecosystem.
 Notable Failures That Have Increased Public
Interest
• Ethical Dilemmas- The story about the effort of the comatoses patient's
brothers to secure court permission to remove his feeding and hydration
tubes epitomizes yet another reason why the study of science and
technology in contemporary society merits attention. Exploitation of
advanced scientific knowledge and technological devices and systems has
on occasion given rise to situation in which thesadvances seem to have
turned upon their beneficiaries, creating excruciating ethical and legal
dilemmas.
 Notable Failures That Have Increased Public
Interest
• Disparities in Human Well-Being- White some advance countries enjoy
science and technology-based success and hold high esteem in
contemporary society, millions of people in less developed countries have
not partaken of this benefit. The gap between the average levels of
material affluence enjoyed in societies in which idustrialization is well
advanced and those characteristics of less developed societies is
historically unprecedented. Understanding the genesis of this gap and
developing effective strategies for decreasing it are clearly issues of great
intellectual and practical importance.
Science, Technology and Society: A new Field
of Study
• In response to the growing importance of science and technology in
contemporary society and the increasing recognition of that importance, the
last twodecades have witnessed the birth and growth of a new academic
field: Science, Technology and Society (STS). STS does not refer to the
kinds of preparatory studies or advanced work in various technical fields
pursued by aspiring or practicing scientists and engineers. Rather, is refers to
study about science and technology. More precisely, STS refers to the study
of Science and Technology in Society-that is, the study of the ways in which
technical and social phenomena interact ang influence each other.
 Science, Technology and Society: A new Field
of Study
• STS also encompasses the “interna” study of science and technology. Internal
refers to studies of phenomena such as the general nature and interrelationship
if science and technology, the social structures and reward systems of the
professions of science and engineering and social aspects of everyday scientific
and technological activity.
• Besides their increasing social importance and the growing recognition of that
importance, the phenomena of science and technology in te society are studied
by scholars because they are interesting and complex sociocultural phenomena.