Module 1a – Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society

Objectives:

After successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

1. discuss the interaction between Science and Technology in the Society throughout
history;
2. discuss how scientific and technological developments affect the society and the
environment; and
3. identify the paradigm shifts in history.

Analyze each picture that follows.

What do you think is the relevance of each picture in our current state in Science and
Technology?

 The introduction to different technology can be anything that is an issue at present.

For this case, race to 5G is the trend among developed countries.
 It can be race to find COVID – 19 vaccine or any other recent tech that will affect
how we navigate society.

What is STS?
(Science Technology and Society)

 It is sometimes referred to as Science Technology Studies

 It considers how social, political and cultural values affect scientific research and
technological innovation and vice versa.
 It is drawn from a variety of disciplines such as:
o Anthropology
o History and sociology
o Political Science

What is the role of Science and Technology in policy making?

Does Science and Technology shape our values and culture or is it the other way
around?

Study the pictures that follow:

How is culture shaped by these technological advances?

The structure of our public transport dictates how we behave. If our jeeps are open, it
invites the opportunity to load and unload just anywhere.

So, how is it different from public transport in other places?

 Society’s culture and values shape the technology. How we behave will determine
what kind of technology will we develop.
 In the same way, Science and Technology help shape the values and culture of the
society. Our behavior is dictated by what we have or what is available to us.
STS have varied areas of interest

A) Sustainability – Energy and Environment

- Global Warming and CO2 Emission Control

- Long term Energy Paths

- Strategies for Efficient and Renewable Energy Use

B) Life Sciences:

- Ethical Aspects of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine

- New Applications of Genomics to Agriculture

- Translation of Science to the Marketplace:

The Development of Medicine for Global Health

C) IT’s Impact on Human Society:

- Interoperatibility (the ability of computer systems or

software to exchange and make use of information.)

- Digital Archiving

- Security / Privacy

D) Capacity Building:

- Science Education and Communication

- University Reform

- Intellectual Property Rights

E) Science and Technology for Human Security:

- Infectious Diseases

- Science and Technology to Reduce the Vulnerability of Critical Infrastructures

- Science and Technology against Natural Disaster

F) New Frontiers Opened by Science and Technology:

- New Frontiers Opened by IT (Information and Communication Technology)

- New Frontiers Opened by NT (Nano-Technology)

- New Frontiers Opened by Manufacturing

“It is important for all people, regardless of their background, to consider Science and
Technology issues as their own.

Recognizing that both the Lights and Shadows of Science and Technology will have a
great impact on the human race, Science and Technology should not control
Humankind; Humankind should control Science and Technology.”

- Hiroyuki Yoshikawa,President
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

Recent Issues Concerning Science, Technology, and Society

Framework for Sustainable Future:

- A practical and effective framework that all countries will participate in, to deal with
CO2 emissions and other climate-forcing emissions.

Renewable Energy Sources:

- Further Development of renewable energy sources:

Solar, Biomass, Hydrogen, and, Nuclear Fission Power under strict conditions of safety
and non-proliferation

Bioethics Issues:

- To try to establish common international standards concerning bioethics that will

enable researchers in all countries to collaborate and have the opportunity to be
equally productive in their research activities

ICT’s impact on Human Society:

- Further development of ICT will build a thriving future for humankind.

- Interoperability, Security and Privacy Protection are imperative for information
society.
- Digital Archiving for equal access to science and technology knowledge is important.
- Resolving the digital divide issue will be of common benefit to humankind.

Education for All:

- Universal access to education, regardless of gender, race or national origin, is vital

for our future.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR):

- A global, integrated system of IPR was proposed and supported by many

participants.
Science and Technology for Human Security:

Against Terrorism:

- To prevent the use of science and technology by terrorists;

- To use science and technology to defend against terrorism

Against Infectious Diseases

- Developing vaccines and medical therapies against infectious diseases like AIDS
(at present, COVID) is crucial for mankind’s future and is one of the most important
fields where science and technology can make a contribution.

Against Natural Disasters

- International cooperation to establish early warning, human safety and rescue
systems is strongly needed.

Science, Technology and Society (STS): Aims and other definitions

- The intellectual roots of STS lie in the history, philosophy, and social study of
science and technology, an arena where often-controversial issues and choices
interface with values and influence public policy.
- STS prepares students to understand both the technical and social dimensions of
science and technology, helps them become more thoughtful and better-informed
citizens of our high-tech society, and develops their critical interdisciplinary thinking,
research, and communication skills.
- Students flourish intellectually in an environment where critical questioning is
encouraged and opportunities for research are abundant.

There are varied and different ways to define SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY such that
its connection and relevance to society can be actualized.

- Interdisciplinary study of the interaction of science and technology with society and
culture.
- The realization that discoveries and inventions are shaped by historical forces and
in turn influence values, aspirations, events, and institutions, thus shaping the course of
history.
Science is…

- Natural knowledge
- Natural philosophy
- Natural history
- Systematic inquiry into nature
- A human cultural activity
- A total societal enterprise
- With vast social consequences
- Organized, well-founded knowledge of nature and human nature
- “The cutting edge of ignorance”

In general:

- Science is an organized, hierarchical activity that investigates nature and human

nature by experiment and observation.
- Its goals are explanation, understanding, prediction, and control.
- It tests its theories by logical, mathematical, and technological means.
- Science is shaped by social forces and historical change.
- While seeking objectivity, science also shapes culture.

Technology is …

A discourse or treatise on an art or arts; The scientific study of the practical or industrial
arts. Techne (art, craft, skill), Logos (word).

Some other attempts to define Technology:

- A system based on the application of knowledge, manifested in physical objects

and organizational forms, for the attainment of specific goals —Volti
- Cumulative sum of means used to satisfy human needs and desires and to solve
specific problems — Markert
- The sum total of systems of machines and techniques that underlie a civilization
—Nye
- Not merely a system of machines with certain functions, but an expression of a
social world —Nye
- The production of superfluities – today as in the Paleolithic age —Ortega y Gasset
- “The seeping false-hearted death” —DeLillo

In General:

a. Artifacts or Hardware. Products fabricated by humans to meet specific needs. Tools,

machines, implements.
 b. Knowledge and Methods. A system of tacit and explicit knowledge,
techniques, and materials utilized in using, making, or repairing a certain kind
of artifact.

c. A human cultural activity or profession. e.g. military or civil engineers,

crafters, machinists.
A total societal enterprise. e.g. “American technological know-how.” R&D, invention, patronage,
mass production and mass consumption.