THE CHARACTER OF EVERYDAY LIFE

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Analyzing Science and Technology in Society
Let us see how much you already know about the topics which we are going to discuss in the module.

Instructor: Mr. JOHN VIANNEY V. MANUEL 1. What are the three leading concerns of citizens and governments that lead to the study of science and
technology in contemporary society?
2. What are some, examples of notable human successes in the field of science and technology?

MODULE 1 3. What are some examples of notable human failures in the field of science and technology?
4. Enumerate the social 'conflicts that are attributed to science and technology.
ANALYZING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY
5. Identify the social and cultural roles assumed by science and technology in contemporary society
WHAT THIS MODULE IS ABOUT? 6. Identify the major factors behind the increasing concern over science and technology in society.

The module is an introductory study of science and technology in society, with particular attention to
So how did you face the pre-test? If you got all the correct Answers, that is very good. But if you made
the contemporary era in the West. For the past two decades a number of undergraduate courses on science,
some mistakes,-don't worry. You will soon learn the right answers and more in this module. Turn to the next
technology, and society (STS) have been established in American, European, and Australian, colleges and
page for the first lesson.
universities.

While scholarly articles pertinent to most areas of the STS Field are now readily available, there
remains a need for a broad-gauged study material suitable for use in introductory level courses with varied Why Study Science and Technology in Society?
student, clienteles. This module is intended to meet that need.
The use of science and technology- in our everyday life is so pervasive. Almost everything that we eat,
Module 1 - contains an introductory lesson wear, and use is 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
Lesson 1 - Why Study Science and Technology in Society
humans have responded to these developments and to what effects also deserve serious consideration in
assessing the significance of science and technology in modern society.

WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS MODULE? In this lesson, you will learn about the importance of science and technology in modern society. You
will be helped to grasp the many varied reasons why the study of science and technology in society is
After studying the module, you should be able to: worthwhile.

 Identify the three leading concerns of citizens and governments that lead to the study of science and
technology in contemporary society.
 Identify some examples of notable human successes in the field of science and technology.
 Enumerate some examples of notable human failures in the field of science and technology.
 Identify the social and cultural roles assumed by science and technology in contemporary society.
 Identify the major factors behind the increasing concern over science and technology in society.

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Instructor: John Vianney “JV” V. Manuel

Activity 1.1 Did you notice that the news items have one characteristic in common? They all involved phenomena
of science or technology in society. While the proportion of front-page newspaper stories with significant
Read the following news items displayed on the front page of San Francisco Peninsula on March 23, 1986: science-or technology-in-society components nearly approaches the four-out-of-four level, it is substantial. The
pervasiveness and importance of science and technology in contemporary society are already widely recognized.
News 1: A tentative $350 million settlement of tens of billions of dollars of damage claims filed against the However, many authors or readers do not recognize that the twin forces of science and technology lie behind
Union Carbide Corporation. The suits were brought by lawyers of thousands of victims of the largest known numerous examples as disparate as those just related. Nor do they grasp the many, and varied reasons why the
industrial" disaster in history. The December 1984 toxic gas leak at the company's pesticide plant in Bhopal, study of science and technology in society is worthwhile. Let us begin by exploring this question.
India. This took over 2,000 lives and inflicted about 200,000 casualties.

News 2: The detonation the previous day, deep beneath the Nevada desert and in the face of domestic and
international protest, of a nuclear bomb roughly ten times as powerful as the weapon that destroyed Hiroshima STUDY
in August 1945. The Importance of Science and Technology in Contemporary Society

News 3: The case of California man who, since suffering traumatic head injuries in an automobile accident in Science and technology are intimately bound up with three leading concerns of citizens and
February 1983, had been in a comatose state in a convalescent home. In the wake of the American Medical governments in contemporary societies: military power, economic strength, and medical well-being.
Association's then recently adopted policy declaring it ethically appropriate for physicians to withhold or
withdraw feeding tubes from hopelessly comatose patients, the article related the efforts of the man's brothers Military Power: The outcome of World War 11 depended heavily on the superior scientific and
to obtain a court order authorizing the removal of his feeding and hydration tubes so that he could "die". technological capabilities of 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 and 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.

REFLECT Economic Strength: Since the conclusion of the Civil War, technol-ogy has played a major role in
Write your observations on the above news items: increasing U.S. productivity. Technological change is credited for almost half of the. increase in productivity
achieved in the U.S. since World War 11, a contribution far greater than those of capital, education, resource
1. What characteristics do these news items have in common? allocation, or economies of scale. Of the ten U.S.. industrial corporations with the highest sales in 1987, seven
were science and technology companies: General Motors (1), Fbrd (2), IBM (4), General Electric (6), AT&T (8), Du
2. Write down some disadvantages of science and technology that were presented in the news.
Pont (9), and Chrysler (10).
3. Would you allow Euthanasia or mercy killing of a dying loved one?
High technology goods-specifically, commercial aircraft and pro-ducts in the semiconductor, computer,
4. Are science and technology really important and indispensable factors in our everyday life? and office equipment sector -were along with chemicals and crops, among the few bright spots in the troubled
U.S. balance-of-trade picture in the 1970s and 1980s. Such facts underscore the central importance of science
If you got all the correct answers, that is very good. But if you made some mistakes, it’s okay. You will soon learn and technology in contemporary U.S. economy.
the right answers and more in this lesson.
Medical Well-Being. Science and technology have also played an important role in greatly increasing
the scope and efficacy of medical care in this century, from advances in diagnosis and surgery to vaccines,
therapeutic drugs, prosthetic devices, and rehabilitative apparatus.

REFLECT
FEEDBACK

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Instructor: John Vianney “JV” V. Manuel

 You have seen the great impact and influence of science and technology in our everyday life. Think The failure side includes the Bhopal, Chernobyl, and Challenger space-shuttle disasters, the pesticide DDT, the
back to your personal life. Can you remember a situation where the quality of life improved markedly as a result ford Pinto, building collapses and airplane crashes traceable to defective engineering, and various forms of
of military strength, economic well-being and medical advances? The substantial individual and public health environmental degradation and human disease caused in part by irresponsible scientific and technological
benefits afforded by technical advances achieved in recent decades are widely recognized and highly valued in practices.
contemporary individual societies. However, the problems brought about by these scientific and techno-logical
advances should also be considered. Here are some more notable failures that have increased public interest in how these forces are exploited and to
what effects:

ACTIVITY 1.2
STUDY
It is not just the military, economic and medical importance of science and technology in contemporary Threats to Human Survival. The social significance of science and technology in the contemporary era
society that warrants study of such phenomena. The unfolding of such developments has raised a number of rests to no small degree on threats to human survival posted by the development or use of some potent
difficult social issues that also merit careful consideration. To know whether you can identify social issues products. These include nuclear weapons, products for chemical or biological warfare, toxic or lethal by-products
brought by these scientific and technological advances, answer the following questions below of manufacturing or energy-generation processes, and products that threaten the viability of the ecosystem.

1. Give more examples of notable human successes in the field of science and technology.

2. Cite examples of human failures brought by scientific and technological advances in human lives. REMEMBER
Do you still remember what happened to the victims of the first nuclear bomb explosion at Hiroshima
How well did you do in this activity? If you got all the correct answers, you are a wide reader. But if you and Nagasaki, Japan? How did the Japanese soldier who did the bombing react to the fatal effect of his action?
made some mistakes, you have to continue reading. You will soon learn the right answers and more in this
module. What about the massive destruction of the ecosystem? Can you discuss the worldwide phenomena of
the Green House Effect, Global Warming, Ozone Depletion, and Acid Rain? All these are brought about by the
products of science and technology.

REFLECT Understanding the conditions that lead to the creation and irresponsible use of substances, and
Were you able to answer the questions? Can you .name more advantages and disadvantages of these developing means by which their production and diffusion might be restricted or prevented is a task as difficult
scientific and technological advances? Continue reading to learn more about the human successes and failures as it is urgent.
with regard to scientific and technological advances.

STUDY
STUDY Ethical Dilemmas. The story about the effort of the comatose patient's [Link] secure court
WHY IS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY A SUBJECT OF VITAL PRACTICAL AS WELL AS ACADEMIC IMPORTANCE? 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
The following paragraphs will point out why science and technology is a subject of vital .practical as technological devices and systems has on occasion given rise to situation in which these advances seem to have
well as academic importance. Notable examples of human scientific and technological successes include the turned upon their beneficiaries, creating excruciating ethical and legal dilemmas.
landing on the moon, polio vaccines, and civilian jet aircraft transportation, the discovery of the double-helical
structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the Green revolution, antibiotics, the personal computer, and the Application of these technical capabilities has sometimes even had tragic outcomes such as: the
confirmation of the Big Bang Theory as the origin of the universe. prescription of pregnant women of supposedly therapeutic drugs that actually proved to be carcinogenic or to
deform fetuses’ like the anti-miscarriage drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) and the tranquilizer and sedative
thalidomide.

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Instructor: John Vianney “JV” V. Manuel

REFLECT So how did you face the test? If you got all the correct answers, that is very good. But if you made some
Would you rather allow your loved one to suffer excruciating pain caused by a terminal disease or let mistakes, don't worry. You will soon learn the right answers and more in this module.
them perish in peace by mercy killing? Do you think Filipinos are spiritually and socially ready for Euthanasia?
The ethical conflicts posed by such science and technology-based dilemmas require careful analysis. REFLECT
The existence of such glaring disparities and the widespread belief that scientific and technological
resources will be required to diminish them provide another reason why science and technology have taken on
growing social importance.
STUDY
Disparities in Human Well-Being. While some advanced countries enjoy science and technology-based
successes 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 STUDY
industrialization is well advanced and those characteristic of less developed societies is historically Social Conflict. In the last two decades, conflict in the U.S. has swirled around issues such as the
unprecedented. Understanding the genesis of this gap and developing effective strategies for decreasing it are location of recombinant-DNA, laboratories in or near residential communities, landing rights for Concorde
clearly, issues of great intellectual and practical importance. Supersonic Transport, the love Canal incident, the Karen Ann Quinlan and Baby Jane Doe cases, the use of
laboratory animals in medical research, the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device, the proliferation of high-rise office
buildings in urban centers, and research on "surplus" embryos and the neutron bomb. Such struggles have taxed
society's capacity for conflict resolution.
ACTIVITY 1.3
Below is a table that shows the comparative material affluence in the developed and less-developed nations. REFLECT
Note the glaring disparities between countries. Can you cite other examples of conflict that have been caused by the use of science and technology in
everyday life? Let Us proceed with the last reason why there is a need to consider the study of science and
Indicators of Material Affluence In Developed and Less-Developed Nations technology in society.

STUDY
Social and Cultural Roles. A less obvious but no less important ground of the social importance of
science and technology in the contemporary era lies in various influential social cultural roles that these forces
have assumed:

a. Science
(1) Combatting Irrationality.
Answer the following questions: Beginning in the 18th century, science came to be assigned the task of weaning the populace from
myth, superstition„ and resultant irrational belief land behavior. One clear mission of 20th century science is to
1. Which country has the greatest/least number of television sets in 1986? deflate narcissism and combat assorted noxious claims to inherent superiority associated with various Isms",
2. Which country has the greatest/least users of telephones in 1985? including racism, sexism, ageism, ethnocentrism, and anthropocentrism.
3. Which country has the greatest/least number of automobiles?
(2) Preeminent Source of Cognitive Authority.
4. How would you compare the GNP of the United States and Afghanis-tan in terms of percentage? In the 20th century, a new social role for science has emerged. Science has become recognized as the
5. What can you tell about the glaring disparity of material affluence. (between the developed and less- leading source of cognitive authority in modern western life. Scientists are the high priests of the 20th century,
and most of the faithful, laity defer to the authority conferred by their specialized expertise.
developed countries including the Philippines)?

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Instructor: John Vianney “JV” V. Manuel

REFLECT becomes more fragile in modern society, producers suggest that one can secure an identity and garner self-
The important social and cultural role .played by science and technology and their powerful authority esteem by acquiring and displaying the "right" (read state-of-the-art) high-tech artifacts.
on society is not difficult to confirm. A good example of this is in 1981, when public hearings were held before a
U.S. Senate committee considering whether to adopt a bill declaring the fetus of a person' from the moment of (3) Technology in Social Integration and Stratification.
conception. The point of the proposed legislation was that if the fetus was so declared, then abortion would be'
Finally, modern technology has taken on an important sociological role. It is used in various ways to
outlawed, for the fetus would be entitled to the due process protection guaranteed all persons by the 14th
counteract centrifugal tendencies (e.g., the weakened bonds of family and community) characteristic of large-
Amendment to the Constitution. It is revealing that both supporters and opponents of the measure called
scale, highly mobile 20th century societies such as the United States. It carries, out this integrative role by
scientists to testify for their respective sides, focusing particularly on the pseudo empirical question "When does
promoting shared political awareness, common value orientations, and similar consumption patterns, as well as '
human life begin?" Neither side wished the conflict to be perceived as one between its own morality and its
by facilitating intermittent contact between parties at a distance. At the same time modern technology also
adversary's science.
serves as a powerful social stratifier. Desire for possession of or control over the sometimes scarce fruits of
What do you think should be the best answer to this question? technological activity fuels feverish struggles for individual, institutional, and national prestige.

REFLECT
STUDY Do you think the ordinary Filipino has been influenced by modern technology? Can you cite specific
b. Technology examples of the prevalent impact of technology on everyday Filipino life?
(1) Sustaining the Private Corporation.
Technology has been important in group survival struggles, whether in hunting and gathering or
agricultural societies. In more recent times, it has become vital in sustaining the life of that pivotal modern social
institution, the private corporation. ACTIVITY 1.4

Outside the government, the dominant role played by technology in contemporary society is that of Answer the following questions. Write your answers on the spaces provided below:
helping corporations survive and increase their profits, something assumed to translate into substantial benefits
1. What is the new academic field established in response to the growing importance of science and
for society at large in the late 20th century, in most influential circles of the Western world, -Corporation-
technology and its increasing importance?
controlled technological innovation is regarded as the leading contributor to a sine qua non of continued and'
2. What encompasses this newly established field of study?
enhanced societal well-being.
*How well did you do in this activity?

REFLECT
Could you list down names of private corporations that continue to survive due to the application of technology
in their products? What do you think are other roles of technology in terms of economy? STUDY
Science, Technology, and Society: A New Field of Study.

In response to the growing .importance of science and technology in contemporary society and the
STUDY increasing recognition of that importance, the last two decades have witnessed the birth and growth of a new
(2) Technology as a Source of Personal Identity. academic field: Science, Technology, and Society (STS). STS does not refer to the kinds of preparatory studies or
The items of technology a person possesses have, along with work, become increasingly important advanced work in various technical fields pursued by aspiring or practicing scientists and engineers. Rather, it
sources of identity and self-esteem. For people without prestigious positions or meaningful work, such items refers to study about science and technology. More precisely, STS refers to the study of science and technology
may well become the primary source of these psychological goods. In contemporary Western society identity in society-that is, the study of the ways in which technical and social phenomena interact and influence each
and esteem are increasingly rooted in the individual's personal technological inventory. As personal identity other.

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Instructor: John Vianney “JV” V. Manuel

 Among the topics studied by STS scholars are the contributions science and technology to the Precipitating Factors: Twin Crises of War and Environment. In the 1960s, this situation changed
transformation of social institutions e work and the family, the influence of science and technology on economic radically. Public awareness of environmental degradation, galvanized by Rachel Carson's classic Silent Spring,
growth and international affairs, and ethical and value Issues used by scientific and technological innovations. began to increase. As the decade progressed, social protest over the war in Vietnam also grew In scope and
Other STS scholars, reversing the arrow of influence, study the ways in which science and technology are intensity. In both cases "science" and "technology" were implicated. From toxic chemical waste disposal to oil-rig
affected by social factors, such, as ideology, political and economic farces, and cultural values. and tanker spillages, strip mining, Agent Orange, napalm, and antipersonnel bombs, many such untoward
occurrences were charged to the accounts of advanced science and technology.
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, social structures and
reward systems of the professions of science and engineering and social aspects of everyday scientific and REFLECT
technological activity.  What were the two most significant events that influenced the rise of concern over science and
technology in society?
Besides their increasing social importance and the growing recognition of that importance, the
phenomena of science and technology in society arc studied by scholars because they are interesting, and In order to know the initial response of the society at large over the impact of science and technology,
complex socio cultural phenomena. you may continue with the module.

REFLECT
1. From the just recently studied paragraph, how would you define STS?
2. What are the main concerns of this field? STUDY
Initial Responses of Society at Large. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a number of developments
took place in various industrial societies that reflected the growing public awareness with regard to issues of
science and technology in society. The U.S. Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969,
STUDY which mandated the preparation and approval of environmental impact statements before proceeding with
The Growing Concern over Science and Technology in Society: Historical Perspective public or private projects "requiring planning permission or state funding or any kind of state license, permission
or aid".
Science and technology are pervasive, potent, and problematic. They do more to shape the character
and agenda of modern societies than most other factors. In order to have an in-depth understanding of the The following year, complementary legislation was enacted resulting in the establishment of a
growing concern over science and technology in society let us trace the historical background of the significant government agency- the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) - charged with protecting
events. workers against dangerous or unhealthy work environments.

World War II. Perhaps the most important technical undertaking of the first half of the century was the In 1972, Congress passed the Technology Assessment Act, creating an in-house office of Technology
Manhattan project, culminating in August 1945 in the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This episode, together Assessment (OTA) to supply members of Congress with information useful in considering policy issues with
with the participation of many German scientists and engineers in the Nazi war effort, raised the issue of the important scientific or technological components.
social responsibility of scientists 'and engineers to a new level of awareness. In the wake of the atomic tomb,
physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, director of the Manhattan project, acknowledged the radically altered In 1973, the U.S. experienced an "energy crisis" spawned by the Arab oil boycott. This episode fueled
relationship of science and technology and the society spawned by the atomic age: The physicist have known discussion about whether society should pursue wind, tidal, geothermal, solar, and outer 'soft-path" energy
"sin". technologies to conserve energy and other environmental and financial resources. Finally, this crisis gave new
impetus to the ongoing debate about "appropriate technology" for Third World countries, particularly the ones
1845-1960. between 1945-1960, the emerging affluence made possible in part by science and hit hard by enormous increases in the prices of petroleum-based products. In sum, by the early 1970s, STS issues
technology during this period, and the increasing role of the federal government in, funding scientific and had become the focus of heightened government concern.
technological work, served effectively to suppress public consideration of these issues. However, development of
the H-bomb and its deployment for possible use in the war with the Soviet Union and Communist china kept the
embers of concern from being completely extinguished.

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Instructor: John Vianney “JV” V. Manuel

ACTIVITY 1.5 business, education, engineering, science, and journalism grapple More effectively with the real-life .STS issues
that they would inevitably face with increasing frequency in their future careers.
1. List down all the policies passed by the United States Congress in response to the increasing concern
over science and technology in society. The emergence of STS courses and programs in American universities in the late 1960s .and early 1970s
was a belated attempt by a number of traditionally structured, educational organizations to adapt themselves to
How about the initial response of the academe? If you cannot list some undertakings made by the an.' aspect of social, reality that had become too obvious and important to continue to ignore.
educational sector with regard to science and technology in society, the more you need to continue with
the study.
REFLECT
 What particular event triggered the anti-technology mood among American students in the 1960s and
197Os?
STUDY
The Academic World. In American colleges and universities, protest over the war in Vietnam gave rise What happened to the STS under the inflation-driven budget faced by colleges and universities in the
in the mid - to late 1960s to what was widely seen as an "anti-technology mood" among students. This was an period from 1973 to 1976? Did it terminate the triggering episode? Let us see what happened.
important factor. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, programs devoted to the study of the social relations of
science and technology emerged. Programs were inaugurated at Cornell, Penn State, and the State University of
New York at Stony Brook in 1969, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Universities of
Washington and Michigan, and Stanford University shortly thereafter. STUDY
The 1970s. In the mid to late 1970s, in both the academe and society at large, interest in STS matters
Motives among the pioneers of such programs were varied. Some early participants wished to subject increased, fueled by a series of controversial scientific and technological developments. Vexing questions raised
recent scientific and technological practice to Intense, sometimes tendentious, critical analysis. Others wished to by technologies such as nuclear power, computers, genetic engineering, and technologies of human
use such programs as forums In which to defend the existing practice of science and technology in the reproduction and. life propagation, issues first raised by startling episodes like Three Mile Island, national
universities-including, at times, in their own besieged professions, department and research laboratories. Such defense, computer system malfunctions, and the birth of the world's first "test-tube baby", demanded serious
scholars often spoke of the need for "balanced" consideration of the impact of science and technology on considerations. STS programs, congressional hearings, and special feat/tires in the print and visual media offered
society. However, for them, this influence was almost always wholly benign, and they sought to Impart to their arenas in which such discussions could and often did take place.
students a keen appreciation of this fact.

Other scholars became involved out of a belief that Oita study of STS subject matter could fill an
embarrassing intellectual gap In the curricular offerings of the late 20th century university. Some went further, ACTIVITY 1.6
holding that the interdisciplinary study of science and technology in society held the potential of becoming a new
and important mode of integrative undergraduate liberal education for the contemporary era. 1. Browse the Internet and look for articles about the first test-tube baby.

The campus turmoil spawned by the war in Vietnam had as one of its by-products the dismantling of 2. What are some other interesting scientific and technological advancement / discoveries made during the
many established general education requirements. Some early STS supporters saw its interdisciplinary courses as period of late 1970s?
an exciting way of linking up in an organic way student' specialized bodies of knowledge with importantly
intellectual and social concerns beyond the purview of .their respective, majors. STS courses provided an
innovative form of liberal education appropriate for the technological era.
REFLECT
Is there a particular event in your own life experience that has been affected by some scientific and
technological innovations in the past year? Would you like to know some more information regarding the
Such courses afforded valuable perspective and imparted needed skills to different sectors of the development of STS as a course? If yes, continue reading the module.
undergraduate student body. The study of STS would help tomorrow's decision makers In medicine, law,
STUDY

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Instructor: John Vianney “JV” V. Manuel

 --- SUMMARY ---
1980 to the Present. In the first half of the 1980s, science and technology were viewed as redemptive.
They had essential roles to play in America's struggle against economic decline in the face of vigorous challenges
from Japan and other newly industrialized countries (NICs) of Asia.

However, even in an atmosphere of scientific and technological boosterism, provocative STS issues
were and have remained the subject of lively debate, within and outside the academe. These include the Reagan Let me summarize here what we have studied so far in this lesson. You .have learned some reasons
administration's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI, the "Star Wars" program), the first artificial heart implants, and why science and technology in society is an important topic and got to know the major factors behind the
tile increasing unemployment in the manufacturing sector due in part to automation. emergence of the STS Field. Widespread concern goer science and technology in contemporary society was
precipitated by the twin crises of war and environment.-
In the mid-1980s, STS concern received new impetus from philanthropic foundation efforts to promote
a basic grasp of scientific, technological, and mathematical thinking and methods among nontechnical college In the last analysis,' however, it is the potency, complexity, and rapidity of the development of these,
and university students. The motivation for this effort was twofold- Technical literacy was seen by some as a forces in contemporary society, coupled with the scope, magnitudes, and other controversial character of the
precondition for enhanced public understanding of technology and science, something essential for realizing social changes associated with them, that have made STS concern and activity a vital and probably permanent
meaningful participatory democracy in the con-temporary era. The other prong was economic. The deteriorating feature of the contemporary social and intellectual landscapes.
levels of mathematical and scientific learning in American society at large jeopardized future American economic
competitiveness.

The late 1980s witnessed the emergence in academia of a small .but growing number of autonomous APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
programs and departments de-voted to the study of STS at the doctoral level. In the United States, such
After finishing the lesson, you're now confident In answering the following questions. Be as specific as you can
endeavors were launched mostly at institutes of technology. such as MIT, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and
be.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Whether such ventures can thrive only in such specialized educational
environments or are forerunners of counterparts at leading research universities remains unclear. 1. Identify the three leading concerns of citizens and governments that have led to the study of science

The outcome is likely to hinge in part. on whether STS, or "science and technology studies" achieves and technology in contemporary society.
recognition as a legitimate field of scholarly activity. as did other equally inter- or multidisciplinary enterprises 2. Identify some examples of notable human successes in the field of science and technology.
such as religious studies, linguistics, and education, 3. Enumerate some examples of notable human failures in the field of science and technology.
4. Identify the social and cultural roles assumed by science and technology in contemporary society.
5. Identify the major factors behind the increasing concern over science and technology in society.
REFLECT
1. What was the focus of debate among the academe in the first half of the 1980s?
2. What were the twofold objectives of the philanthropic foundation efforts among non-technological

3.
colleges and universities during the mid-1980s?
In what level of the academe could you find autonomous programs and departments devoted to the
CONGRATULATIONS!
study of STS in the late 1980s? You have .just finished studying, lesson 1 of this module. You may now proceed to the next, lesson
which features systematic analysis of the natures and significance of science and technology in modern
contemporary Western society. The next lesson will also discuss basic concepts, frameworks, and theories
pertinent to understanding science and technology in society.

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Instructor: John Vianney “JV” V. Manuel