MST 112

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
AND SOCIETY
Lesson 01
 Introduction to Science,
Technology, and Society

Jolee Ann J. Huliganga

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

Objective/s
• At the end of the lesson, students must be able to;
1. Determine the general concepts related to science and
technology;
2. Explain how science and technology affected the society
and environment and vice versa;
3. Determine the scope of the study of STS
4. Demonstrate preparedness and readiness in the study of
STS.
J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University
Diagnostics
Write TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is not.
1. Science is a methodical way of acquiring knowledge.
2. Technology is the use of scientific knowledge for
practical purpose.
3. Science and Technology can be dangerous.
4. Science, Technology, and Society (STS) is the study of
how science and technology shape and are shaped by
social influences.

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

Diagnostics
Write TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is not.
5. STS deals with the historical development of science and
technology but does not cover their philosophical
underpinnings.
6. The study of STS primarily concerns students of science
and technology programs, and not non-science students as
much.
7. STS is an important area of study because science and
technology permeate every aspect of everyday life.

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

Diagnostics
Write TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is not.
8. Science and technology are not crucial factors in nation-
building.
9. History cannot teach people about evaluating present-day
science and technology.
10. STS draws from other disciplines, such as history,
sociology, philosophy, economics, political science and
international relations, and science policy.

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University
 WHAT IS SCIENCE ?

WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY ?

WHAT IS SOCIETY ?

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

 SCIENCE

•Comes from a Latin word scientia, meaning

“knowledge”.

“Modern science is a discovery as well as an

invention.”
-John Heilbron (2003, p.vii),
American science historian
J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University
 TECHNOLOGY

•It comes from a Greek root word

techne, meaning ‘art, skill, or
cunning of hand.’

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

“What defines a technological tool-one historical
definition- is something that takes a human’s sense or
ability and augments it and makes it more powerful.
So for example, I wear contact lenses or glasses; that
is a technology that enhances my human ability of
vision and makes it better.”

-Mark Zuckerberg

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

 TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE

Technics Knowledge

A technology A field of systematic inquiry into

nature

A form of human cultural activity A form of human cultural activity

A total societal enterprise A total societal enterprise

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

 SOCIETY
• A society is a group of individuals involved in
persistent social interaction, or a large social group
sharing the same geographical or social territory,
typically subject to the same political authority and
dominant cultural expectations.

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

“ We live in a society absolutely dependent on
science and technology and yet have cleverly
arranged things so that almost no one
understands science and technology. That’s a
clear prescription for disaster.”

-Carl Sagan, American scientist, quoted in Tom

Head’s (2006) book

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

•Science, Technology, and Society (STS) is a
relatively young field that combines
previously independent and older
disciplines, such as the history of science,
philosophy of science, and sociology of
science

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

• STS seeks to bridge the gap between two traditionally
exclusive cultures-
-Humanities (interpretive)
-Natural sciences (rational)

So that humans will be able to better confront the

moral, ethical, and existential dilemmas brought by
the continued developments in science and
technology.
J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University
 Science and Technology
• Science and technology have had both a positive and
negative impact on society
especially in the following areas:
Community Life Health
Communication

Work

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

 • Networks of
•The shift from nomadic transportation,
communication, and
life to farming led to the trade systems
development of the city.
• Specialized labor
• Government and
religion
• Social class
Jerusalem, one of the world’s first cities, is still in
existence today.

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

 • Invention of textile
manufacturing machines
•The nineteenth century
witnessed the Industrial • Division of labor
Revolution. • Increase in production
• Crowded cities
• Unsafe and unhealthy
working conditions
Some of the negative aspects of the
Industrial Revolution included poor
working conditions and long hours.

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

• The twentieth century saw
the birth of suburbs.
• Invention of the trolley car
and automobile
• Status symbol
Many planned communities, such as this one outside

• Alternative to harsh, Cincinnati, OH, sprang up around cities during the first half of
the twentieth century.

crowded city conditions

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Work
• Technical innovations saved physical energy and lessened people’s
workload.

The tractor The refrigerator The vacuum cleaner The washing machine
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Work
• The concept of leisure developed from labor-saving technology.
People use the money they earn to take advantage of leisure time.

Television Social Activities Sporting Events Movies

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• The greatest
innovation of
technology
was longevity.

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

 • A large part of technology has been dedicated to the
advancement of medical science.

In 1796, Edward Jenner
paved the way for modern
immunology by discovering a
vaccine for smallpox.
Sir Alexander Fleming Dr. William Thomas Green Morton (c.
discovered penicillin, 1846) was one of the first medical
the first antibiotic, in practitioners to use anesthesia on a
1928. patient before performing surgery.
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 • Some current innovations could have a drastic impact on
society.

In 1997, scientists at the Roslin Institute in Embryonic stem cell research is another area that is
Edinburgh, Scotland, introduced Dolly the sheep, at the center of controversy. While stem cells might
the first mammal ever to have been cloned. Dolly be able to be used to generate new organs for
quickly became the symbol of the controversy transplant, the use of them has many ethical
over the ethics of cloning. considerations.
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• Inventions and innovations in communication have had a
major influence on society.
• Egypt: papyrus and hieroglyphics
• Ancient Babylonia: cuneiform
• Ancient Greece: public speaking, persuasive
rhetoric, drama, and philosophy
• Ancient Rome: Roman alphabet
• Modern Europe: printing press
• World today: World Wide Web
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Egypt: papyrus and hieroglyphics

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

Ancient Babylonia: cuneiform

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

Ancient Greece: public speaking

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University

 • Positive attributes
of technology must
• Progress is a series of
be greater than
improvements in human life
negative attributes
marked by inventions and
discoveries. • Negative
consequences:
destruction of
environment and
The Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of loss of what it
Alaska in 1989 impacted 1,300 miles of
shoreline and killed an enormous amount means to be human
of wildlife.
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Assignment

J.A. Huliganga Notre Dame of Marbel University