What is Science & Technology Studies?

In light of the importance of science and technology (S&T) in the world today, there is a
need for scholarly work on its social dimensions. The Department of Science &
Technology Studies is dedicated to research and teaching about scientific knowledge
and technology in its social context. In their research, faculty members examine S&T
both in contemporary societies and through historical investigations. The goal is to build
a body of theory and empirical findings about:
o

The social processes through which

scientific and technical knowledge
whether packaged into texts,
people, machines, images, or other
formsis created, evaluated,
challenged, spread, transformed,

and fitted into social relations.

The ways people use, reconfigure, and contest scientific

knowledge and technology.

The normative issues entangled in scientific and technological developments.

The place of science and technology in the modern world.

Academics
Through its teaching as well as its research, the department is playing a notable role in
building the emerging discipline of Science & Technology Studies (STS). Founded in
1991, the department has an internationally-known Ph.D. Program devoted to training
students to conduct advanced research. It also has two undergraduate majors, Biology
& Society and Science & Technology Studies. Learn More.
The Biology & Society Major is designed for students who wish to combine training in
biology with exposure to perspectives from the social sciences and humanities on the
social, political and ethical aspects of modern biology. This major is intended for
students who have an interest in law, medicine, health services administration and

other professional schools and for preparation for graduate programs in various fields.
Learn More.
The Science & Technology Studies Major furthers students understanding of the
social and cultural meanings of science and technology. It is ideal for students pursuing
careers in law, public policy or management, as well as for scientists, engineers and
others interested in science, technology and society. Learn More.
The Minor in Science & Technology Studies also offers a way for undergraduates
specializing in other fields to gain an appreciation for the social dimensions of science
and technology. Learn More.

Faculty Publications
The Self as Project: Politics and the Human Sciences
Christine Leuenberger
The Self as Project explores the ways that twentieth-century political
institutions and the human sciences in the western world attempted to
understand and shape the attitudes and behaviors of individuals