CH 1: THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF STS

Culture

• refers to an autonomous group of people

• interacting with others in a distinct geographic territory

• and sharing a common culture

Society

• The ways of thinking

• Ways of acting

• Materials objects

• Together form the people’s way of life

Diverse cultures mean we vary in..

• on how children are nurtured (how they’re raised)

• how people marry (marriage customs)

• what people believe in (religion)

Physical environment

The natural surroundings and resources available to people.

How people utilize their environment

How societies use available resources to meet their needs through technology and science.

Material

are those objects produced as a result of technology

Non-Material

how the objects were produced and the processes and functions involved

Science

body of knowledge used to understand the world.

Natural Science

• study natural phenomena

• Biology - plants, animals, life

• Physics - matter, energy, forces

• Chemistry - substances and their composition

• Geology - Earth and geological formations

• Meteorology - atmosphere and weather

Social sciences

• study society, its processes, and components

• Sociology

• Anthropology

• Economics

• Political Science

• Psychology

Broad meaning of science

• Science is not only formal natural and social sciences.

• It also includes specific cultures' knowledge about natural and social phenomena.

Different cultures

• How cultures understand natural & social sciences.

• Use their knowledge to achieve desirable outcomes.

Technology

In a sociological and anthropological sense, technology is one aspect of culture from the distant past until the present, based on the existing knowledge systems.

It includes the processes used to harness the environment to

• Produce objects and systems

• Respond to human needs

Artifacts / material culture.

Objects produced by technology

Related Cultural Aspects of Technology

• Economic systems

• Political systems

• Belief systems

Symbolic Interactionism

• Society is made up of individuals who interact with each other using symbols with corresponding meanings

• Social problems are caused by different understanding of symbols and their meanings

Structural Functionalism

• Society is made up of interrelated systems/institutions with corresponding functions

• Social problems are caused by a dysfunction in one of the systems which affect all other systems

Conflict Perspective

• Society is made up of conflicting groups with unequal levels of power, wealth and prestige

• Social problems are caused by the exploitation of the inferior group by the dominant group

Technological Somnambulism

• Technology is mainly viewed as something humans make and use.

• Explained by Langdon Winner, a political scientist 

• Technology is considered morally and ethically neutral. (Neither good or bad)

• Its impact depends on how humans use it.

Technological Determinism

• A society’s technology largely determines its social structure and culture.

• Coined by Thorstein Veblen, an American sociologist and economist

• Technology is viewed as the main determinant of a society’s history and the driving force of its culture

• New technology can replace older knowledge and practices.

Social Construction of Technology (SCOT)

• Emphasizes the importance of social context in the development of new technologies viewed as a product of social processes involving several social groups

• Introduced by Wiebe Bijker and Trevor Pinch in 1984

• Developed as a contrast to Technological DeterminismSocial context influences technological development.

• Different social groups can influence the meaning and design of technology.

• Government, financial, and educational support affect technological development.