CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE,

TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

CHAPTER OUTLINE

1. S & T: Definitions and Assumptions

2. Face to Face with S & T
3. S & T Fused Together
4. Where Science and Technology is
taking the Society
5. STS Approach

[Link]
programmes/science-technology-society-master/

“Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch
which illuminates the world."
- Louis Pasteur

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:

1. define science, technology and society;

2. distinguish the relationships of science, technology and society; and
3. develop a deeper interest in the field of science, technology, and society.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: DEFINITIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS

Science and technology are dynamic processes engaged in by man to satisfy two-
basic needs- the thirst for knowledge and the material requirements for human survival
and prosperity. Science and technology had been around even before the words biology,
physics, chemistry, engineering, and agriculture were coined.
Science is the description, understanding, and prediction of phenomena through
the use and generation of verifiable theories, laws, and principles. Research and
development are usual activities associated with science as a process. Research and
development involve the acquisition of new knowledge and the utilization of such
knowledge to devise new or improved products and processes. (Seludo-Ballena, Bernal,
Paquiz, Ramos and Viet, 2004). The Oxford Dictionary meanwhile defines science as the
intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and
behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.

According to McGinn (1991) Science has four meanings:

1. As a Knowledge: the organized, well-founded body of knowledge of natural
phenomena.
2. As a Field of Systematic Inquiry into Nature: the particular field or domain or
systematic inquiry in which such knowledge is sought.
3. As a Form of Human Cultural Activity: a distinct form of human activity in which
such knowledge is sought.
4. As a Total Societal Enterprise: the summation of knowledge, people, skills,
organization, facilities techniques, physical resources, methods and technology,
which is devoted to the study and understanding of the natural world.

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Technology is the use of scientific knowledge and/or empirical knowhow for the
production, improvement, and distribution of goods and services, as well as the
satisfaction of other material needs, On the other hand, it is more related to economic
activity. The actual use of technology in the production process points out the potentials
as well as the problems associated with a particular technology. In short, it is the
application of understanding of natural laws to the solution of practical problems.
In the book The Nature of Technology: What it is and how it evolves, W. Brian Arthur
(2009) defined technology in three ways:
1. Technology is a “means to fulfill a human purpose” in that a method or any
material may be utilized to serve a human purpose.
2. Technology is an assemblage of practices and components
3. Technology is a collection of devices and engineering practices available to
culture.

Society is a group of persons joined together for a common purpose or by a

common interest. They come to learn and perform behavior expected of them.
Sociologists place societies in three broad categories: Pre-Industrial Society: Food
production, which is carried out through the use of human and animal labor, is the main
economic activity. Industrial societies: The increased efficiency of production of the
industrial revolution produced an even greater surplus than before. Now the surplus was
not just agricultural goods, but also manufactured goods. Post-industrial societies:
Societies dominated by information, services, and high technology more than the
production of goods are known as Post-industrial Societies.

FACE TO FACE WITH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Some may think that science is very easy to define and might say that it is just it
is. But philosophers are said to be in argument about the definition of science for decades
already because it has a wide coverage of human dealings. Science can be taken as the
investigation of the physical world in which experiments are rendered in order to explain
matters of concern. To have a face to face with science, it would be best to explore its
wide coverage by identifying its common characteristics. Four common characteristics
that categorize something as science include:

1. Focuses on the Natural World

It is through science that we understand the natural world. Its main concern is the
physical world. It studies animals, plants, rocks, man, and all other kinds of matter.
Science is not concerned with supernatural world which cannot be tested and is not
governed by the laws of the natural world. This is a continuous study of the physical world
to look for evidences that could prove something. The goal is to see how something works
and see the components that make up the area being studied. Findings can change after
time depending on the new evidences that may arise but all scientific idea is said to be
reliable because before it could get scientific acceptance, first it has to be supported with
a number of evidences.
2. Goes Through Experiments
Science subjects any matter of study to experimentation. Something has to be
tested and should arrive at a number of consistent observations so it could be taken as
true. Anything that cannot be subjected to experimentation and could not give any
observable data cannot be regarded as science.
3. Relies on Evidence
As science requires experimentations and observations, it is only right that it would
look for evidences that will support the truthfulness of something. For something to be
really regarded as science, it should be tested not only by one group as that can be taken

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of as a bias. Evidences that are relevant to the matter being studied are what scientists
are looking for to confirm something to be of science.
4. Passes Through the Scientific Community
Science requires a number of consistent evidences for it not to be biased, it has to
go through different groups of people who would qualify the idea. In finding different
evidences, a scientist would likely check on different angles concerning the matter of
study and would therefore work with people of different expertise. Scientific
experimentations and processes change over time as the society takes place, as
communication and technology advances, and as further discoveries and understandings
are achieved by science.
As scientists have been arguing as to the definition of science, the same is true
with technology. Martin Heidegger strongly opposes the view that technology is “a means
to an end” or “a human activity.” These two approaches, which Heidegger calls,
respectively, the “instrumental” and “anthropological” definitions, are indeed “correct”, but
do not go deep enough; as he says, they are not yet “true.” Unquestionably, Heidegger
points out, technological objects are means for ends, and are built and operated by human
beings, but the essence of technology is something else entirely. Just as the essence of
a tree is not itself a tree, Heidegger points out, so the essence of technology is not
anything technological. These claims of Heidegger is further discussed in Chapter 6.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FUSED TOGETHER

Brooks (1994) highlighted six relationships between science and technology
1. New knowledge which serves as a direct source of ideas for new technological
possibilities;
e.g. discovery of uranium fission-atomic bomb, X-Rays, LASER,
explorations in Bell Lab leading to invention of the transistor

2. Source of tools and techniques for more efficient engineering design and a
knowledge base for evaluation of feasibility of designs.
e.g. prototyping, theoretical prediction, modeling, and simulation of large
systems, often accompanied by measurement and empirical testing of
subsystems and components.

3. Research instrumentation, lab techniques, and analytical methods used in

research that eventually find their way into design and industrial practices
e.g. the scanning electron microscope (SEMI, ion implantation,
synchrotron radiation sources, phase-shifted lithography, high vacuum
technology, industrial cryogenics, superconducting magnets (originally
developed for cloud chamber observations in particle physics, then
commercialized for ‘magnetic resonance imaging’ (MRI) in medicine)

4. Practice of research as a source for development and assimilation of new

human skills and capabilities eventually useful for technology
e.g. research specialization among scientists

5. Creation of a knowledge base that becomes increasingly important in the

assessment of technology in terms of its wider social and environmental
impacts
e.g. manufacture of a new chemical may involve disposal of wastes which
require knowledge of the groundwater hydrology of the manufacturing site.

6. Knowledge base that enables more efficient strategies of applied research,

development, and refinement of new technologies.
e.g. The accumulated stock of existing scientific (and technological)
knowledge helps to avoid blind alleys and hence wasteful development
expenditures.

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WHERE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IS TAKING THE SOCIETY

For the past centuries, science and technology has marked a great progress in the
society. Man has benefitted much from the advances made with land, water, air and
animals. Machines and tools have made living so much easier. Communication and
transportation, infrastructures, and agriculture have become more convenient. But
science and technology in itself would not exist without the society. It is the society that
allows for the discoveries and inventions to take place. It is the society that decides how
S&T is to be utilized. And yet, society needs science and technology in order to continue
on. National progress now relies so much on science and technology in the area of
industry, health care, national security, and environmental protection.
In as much as science and technology is taking the society towards progress and
development, the risks and dangers that come with it should be taken lightly and accepted
blindly. Everyone should have keen eyes and observe closely where science and
technology is taking the society. After taking this course in STS, you should be a guardian
of society, not only to make them aware of how science and technology is shaping the
society but how they can partake in keeping the balance between the benefits and
dangers of S&T.

Fig. 1. Interactions of Science, Technology and Society

STS APPROACH
In response to the growing importance of S&T in the contemporary society and the
increasing recognition of that importance, the last two decades 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, it refers to the 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 and influence each other.

STS also encompasses the internal study of science and technology. Internal
refers to studies of phenomena such as the general nature and interrelationship of
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.

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Besides their increasing social importance and the growing recognition of that
importance, the phenomena of science and technology in society are studied by scholars
because they are interesting and complex sociocultural phenomena.
STS as an approach means starting with students, their questions, using resources
available to work for their resolution, and wherever possible, advancing to the stage of
taking actual actions individually and in groups to resolve actual issues. STS approach is
expected to increase general interest and understanding of science. It is also expected
to fill a critical void in the traditional curriculum. Harms and Yager (1993) further derive
four main purposes of the STS approach, namely:

1. Preparing students to use science for improving their own lives and as a corollary
to be able to better understand and cope with an increasingly technological
society.
2. Enabling students as they progress through life to deal with STS issues in a
responsible manner.
3. Identifying a body of knowledge that would enable them to deal with STS issues.
4. Acquiring knowledge and understanding about career opportunities in the
field. Enabling the students plan for their careers by comprehending the possible
job opportunities available in their job market.

SUGGESTED READINGS AND REFERENCES

1. Agsalud, Priscilla Signey. (2012). Science, Technology and Society. Great Books
Publishing

2. Bautista, D., N. Bruce, J. Marasigan-Dungo, C. Garcia, J. Imson, R. Labog, F.

Salazar, J. Lee-Santos. (2018). Science, Technology and Society. Maxcor
Publishing House Inc

3. Ballena, N., R. Bernal, L. Paquiz, R. Ramos and L. Viet. (2004). Science,

Technology and Society. Trinitas Publishing

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