College of Accountancy

First Semester, A.Y. 2024- 2025

MODULE 1
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

Introduction

Science, Technology, and Society is said to be the study on how social, economic,
political, and cultural aspects affect scientific research, development of technologies that
affect human society. It was before the Spaniards take over the Philippines, the Philippines
has already the concept of STS. It is enveloped in the people’s way of life, and Science has
taught them the importance of developing technologies and improved inventions up to
present.

The Philippines may belong to the so-called “third-world countries”, we still have
amazing inventions and discoveries that worth to be told in world history. Filipinos take pride
in those achievements, and we are thriving for more as of today.

This module talks about the historical antecedent of STS and its effects on the
environment.

Date and Time Allotment

August 24 (3 hours)

I. Objectives
At the end of the end of this module, students should be able to:
1. Explain the interactions between Science, Technology, and Society.
2. Discuss how the ideas postulated by Copernicus, Darwin, and Freud contributed to
the spark of scientific revolution.
3. Discuss the history of Science and Technology in the world and in the Philippines.

II. Lecture

1.1 Defining STS

STS stands for science, technology, and society. It is an interdisciplinary field of

academic teaching and research, with elements of a social movement, having as its
primary focus the explication and analysis of science and technology as complex social
constructs with attendant societal influences entailing myriad epistemological, political,
political, and ethical question. (“Science, Technology, and Society Studies,” 2021).

Science is the study of the natural world by systematic methods of observation and
experiment. Technology is the application of science to practical purposes. Society
uses those technologies. That is how they are connected.

1.2 Historical Antecedents of STS

Table 1.1 History of Science and Technology in the World

CULTURE TECHNOLOGY ASTRONOMY
Mesoamerican Revolution
1. Maya - Religion structuring - Used tool and - Advanced
Civilization - Mayans also known for adapt to innovation understanding in
 measuring time using two especially in field of astronomy
complicated calendar art such as looms for - Temples and
system, it is very useful for weaving cloth. pyramids at Chichen
their life like in planning Itza which situated at
their activities and the location of the sun
observing religion ritual during the spring and
and cultural celebration. fall.
- Understanding about
the celestial bodies,
2. Inca “Navel of the world” - Made advanced - Calendar with 12
Civilization - Inca culture was a very scientific ideas months.
advanced Civilization and considering
was led by 13 Incas, who limitation and old
were in-charge of civilization
governing a people - Road paved with
divided into social classes. stone.
- Stone buildings
that surmounted
earthquake and
other disaster.
- Irrigation system
and technique in
storing water.
- First suspension
bridge.
- Quipu system of
knotted ropes to
keep records that
only expert can
interpret.
- Inca textile
3. Aztec - Mandatory education - Chinampa. A form - Aztec calendar
Civilization - Invention of the canoe of technology used
for agricultural
farming where the
land was divided in
rectangular areas
surrounded by
canals.
4. Olmec - “The Rubber People” - Make rubber ball - Olmec civilization did
Civilization - Inhabited in a small area for ritualistic not pay attention in
about 125 by 50 ballgame. astronomy
kilometers. - Built cities and
- They develop the first acquired great
written language and wealth
number system - Artifacts such as
jade mask and giant
heads
ASIA
1. China - It is one of the ancient - Known for - Chinese made a
civilizations with traditional significant record on
substantial contributions in medicines, supernovas, lunar and
many areas such as in discovered various solar eclipses, comets
medicine, astronomy, medical properties were recorded to
 science, mathematics, and uses of different understand better the
arts, philosophy, and plants and animals heavenly bodies and
music to cure human their effect to the world.
- Confucianism is an illness (practice of - They also used lunar
ethical philosophical acupuncture). calendar and
system developed from - Known to develop seismology so that
the teaching of early many tools like they can prepare in
Chinese rage Confucius. compass, times of natural
papermaking, calamities.
gunpowder, printing
tools, iron plough,
wheelbarrow,
propeller, etc.
- different model of
bridges,
seismological
detector and dry
dock facilities
2. India - Tried to standardize the - Manufacturing iron - India is also notable
measurement of length to and metallurgical in astronomy, they
a high degree of accuracy works, their iron developed theories on
and designed a ruler steel is considered configuration of
called Mohenjo-Daro the best in whole universe, the spherical
(signify “the mound of the Roman Empire. supporting earth, and
dead”. It was one of the - India is also the year of 360 days
earliest cities in the world, famous in medicine. with 12 equal parts to
one of the most advanced (Ex. Ayurveda it is 30 days each.
of its time, and one of the system of traditional
first to be a major center of medicine.)
a Bronze Age culture, the
Indus Valley Civilization)
- Aryabhata, was the first
of the major
mathematician-
astronomers from the
classical age of Indian
mathematics and Indian
astronomy. introduce
number of trigonometric
functions, tables,
techniques as well as
algorithms of algebra.
- Brahmagupta (an Indian
mathematician and
astronomer) – was the first
to use zero as a number.
suggested that gravity was
a force of attraction.

CULTURE TECHNOLOGY ASTRONOMY

Middle - The common language is - Muslim scientists - A significant number
East Arabic and access text placed greater value of stars in the sky such
from the Byzantine Empire on science as Aldebaran, Altair,
to create innovation and experiments rather and Deneb, and
 developed new ideas. than in plain through astronomical term such
- Algebra is derived from experiments. as Alidade. Azimuth
al-jabr the title of one of - Led to the and Nadir, are still
his publications what is development of referred to by their
known as Arabic numerical scientific methods. Arabic names.
system. - Muslim chemist
and alchemist also
played an important
role in foundation of
chemistry.
Africa - Egyptians are good in - Africa is blessed - The structure of
four fundamental with natural and Egyptian pyramids,
mathematical operation mineral resources, which are based on
and other mathematical thus caused the Constellation Orion’s
skills such as basic emerge of science. belt, and dams to
concept of algebra and - Early science divert water in Nile
geometry. activities in Egypt River.
- The Lebombo bone were developed to - Astronomy is also
which is a tool for improve the quality famous, they used
multiplications, divisions of their life especially three types of
and simple mathematical in building homes calendars (lunar, solar,
calculation or six-month and cities. and stellar)
lunar calendar, considered - Also known to be
as oldest known the center alchemy
mathematical artifact from known as medieval
35,000 BCE. forerunner of
chemistry.
Data for History of Science and Technology in the World from Serafica, et al. (2018) and
Doria, et al. (2018)

Table 1.2 History of Science and Technology in the Philippines

PHILIPPINES CULTURE TECHNOLOGY ASTRONOMY
Pre-Colonial - They have - Already engaging in - They had no
Period alphabet, a system activities and practices calendar but counted
of writing, as related to science forming the years by the
method of counting primitive or first wave of period of the moon
and weights and technology. and from one harvest
measures. - They have curative to another. (baybayin
- They learn to values on how to extract buan)
weave cotton, make medicine from the herbs.
glass ornaments, - They made simple tools
cultivate lowland and weapons of stone
rice and dike fields flakes and later developed
of terraced. method of sawing and
polishing stone
- Also built boat for trading
purposes (caracoa)
Colonial - Introduced formal - In 1871 the school of - Accounts by
Period educations founded medicine and pharmacy Spanish friars in the
by scientific were opened to UST. 1580s showed that
institution, school, - Science was inclined in astronomy was
religion, reading, agriculture and food already known and
writing, and processing. practiced. The
arithmetic were accounts also give
 established. the local names of
constellations, such
as Moroporo for the
Pleiades and Balatik
for Ursa Major
among others.
Modern - Education become - Throughout our history, - The institutions
Period stable, new social innovations have continued to be well
curriculums were played a central role in our known for its
established and technological accurate typhoon
used. transformation. forecast and
- Modern Filipino - By applying technology to scientific works in the
culture developed resolve social innovation field of meteorology,
through influence challenges, the Philippines geo-magnetism and
from Chinese is looking to solve the astronomy.1q
traders, Spanish urbanization challenges.
conquistadors, and
American rulers.
- Filipino people
tend to be very
hospitable
especially to
western visitors.
Data for History of Science and Technology in the World from Serafica, et al. (2018) and
Doria, et al. (2018)

1.3 Paradigm Shift

A paradigm shift is a phenomenon conceptualized and explored by Thomas Kuhn

and is not just a small modification to an existing scientific theory. Instead, it wholly changes
the scientific theory itself and radically modified how it seeks to understand reality.

Notable Paradigm Shifts in History

Copernican Revolution
For the first time in the 16 th century, Copernicus bravely challenged the Ptolemaic
model of heavens – geocentric. It described the cosmos as having the Earth stationary at the
center of the universe, and everything revolves around it. Copernicus proposed a new
model, heliocentric, showing the sun as the center of the solar system. The Catholic church
was against him, so his ideas did not prosper at once. His books and he, himself, were
denied by society. Few centuries had passed before the world started to acknowledge his
greatness through Galileo Galilei – the man who picked up all Copernicus had left. Until
then, the sun stands out in the center of the solar system. This shift marked the start of a
broader Scientific Revolution that set the foundations of modern science and allowed
science to flourish as an autonomous discipline within its own right.

Darwinian Revolution
According to the bible, God had created the world and everything on it. All the
species of animals and plants now in existence were thought to have been created in their
final form at the Creation time. Then one mind questioned it all – Charles Darwin. Interest in
fossils fueled the increase in scientific awareness during his time. He focused on geological
change and presented a classic explanation of development over millions of years. He had
persuaded most people that “transmutation” was an acceptable scientific explanation of the
geological past. Darwinism, theory of the evolutionary mechanism propounded by Charles
Darwin as an explanation of organic change. It denotes Darwin’s specific view
that evolution is driven mainly by natural selection.

Freudian Revolution
Freud’s revolution may be viewed as discovering a way of locating in the mind
objective entities that can be studied like material things. When Freud introduced the
unconscious realm concept, the mind’s mode of operation had been a subject of confusion
and debate in the scientific community. According to, Freud was mostly responsible for
elevating our interpretations of human behavior to the rational ideas of reason and science.
After years of intellectual history and proved to be amongst his most significant gifts to the
twentieth century. Unconsciousness is held responsible if the symptoms were not
consciously created with a physical basis. Unconscious mind: This is one of his most
enduring ideas, which is that the mind is a reservoir of thoughts, memories, and emotions
that lie outside the awareness of the conscious mind.

III. Application/Activity

Eliciting Ideas: Inside Out

Fill the circles with your ideas regarding the said concepts. Overlapping of circles mean similarities of
each concept.

Science Technology

Society

IV. Assessment

Fill the table below to show the interaction of Science, Technology and Society throughout the history.
Write in a A4 size coupon bond, to be submitted on August 24, 2024 before 7:00pm

V. Other References

Serafica, Paliwen, Caslib,and Alata (2018). Science, Technology, and Society, 1st Ed.
Quezon City: Rex Printing Co. Inc
Copernican Revolution, [Link]
Sigmund Freud’s Life, Theories, and Influence, [Link]