Why Study Science and

Technology in Society?
Romero, Victor II., Ricarte Marjhun A.
Faculty of Computer Science
University of the Philippines Visayas
TACLOBAN COLLEGE

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The Importance of
Science and Technology
in Contemporary Society

Military

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The Importance of
Science and Technology
in Contemporary Society

Economic

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The Importance of
Science and Technology
in Contemporary Society

Medical

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Human Successes and Failures

Successes Failures

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Threat to Human Survival

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Disparities in Human Well-Being

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Social Conflict

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Social and Cultural Roles

Science Technology
• Combatting irrationality • Sustaining the Private
• Preeminent Source of Cognitive Corporation
Authority • Source of Personal Identity
• Social Integration and
Stratification

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 The Nature of Science and
Technology

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Science, Technology and Society
• STS is the study of
science and technology in
society – i.e., the study of Science and
Society
the ways in which Technology

technical and social

phenomena interact and
influence each other.

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Science, Technology and Society
• STS is the study of
science and technology in Science

society – i.e., the study of

Society
the ways in which
technical and social Technology
phenomena interact and
influence each other.

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Science, Technology and Society
• STS is the study of Science
science and technology in
society – i.e., the study of
the ways in which
technical and social
phenomena interact and
influence each other. Technology Society

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Science and Technology
• What exactly does these terms mean?

NO CLEAR-CUT DEFINITION
EVEN FOR SCHOLARS

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Definition of Science and Technology
• Our goal is not exact definition but common framework.
TECHNOLOGY
Technics
A technology
A form of human cultural activity
A total societal enterprise
SCIENCE
Knowledge
A field of systematic inquiry into nature
A form of human cultural activity
A total societal enterprise

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Technology as Technics
• The materials or products of human making/fabrication – a material
artifact/hardware produced by a person, group or society.
• Implements, utensils, tools, devices, machines

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Technology as a Technology
• Consider the statement: “Great progress has been made in
communication technology”
• The complex of knowledge, methods, materials and, if applicable, the
constituent parts used in the realization of yet another technic.

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Technology as Human Cultural Activity
• Technology may refer to a distinctive form or kind of human cultural
activity, just as art, law, medicine, sport, and religion are often used to
refer to a distinctive form of human practice.
• An endeavor pursued by a group of people called technologists, just as
art is pursued by artists.

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Technology as a Total Societal Enterprise
• Consider the statement: “The success of the SpaceX mission was a
great tribute to human technology”
• Here technology refers to the complex of knowledge, people, skills,
organizations, facilities, techniques, physical resources, methods, and
technologies that taken together and in relationship to one another are
devoted to the research, development, production, and operation of
technics.

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Definition of Science and Technology fundamental

• Our goal is not exact definition but common framework.

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

All encompassing

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Science as Knowledge
• Consider the statement: “With his germ theory of disease, Pasteur made
a seminal contribution to modern medical science”.
• Here science refers to the organized, well-founded body of knowledge
of natural phenomena.

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Science as a Field of Systematic Inquiry into
Nature
• “Physics is the most basic science”
• Science here refers to a particular field in which such knowledge,
science in the first sense, is sought.

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Science as a Form of Human Cultural Activity
• A distinctive form of human cultural activity as in Science as practiced
by a group of people called Scientists, previously called “natural
philosophers.”

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Science as a Total Societal Enterprise
• The complex of knowledge, people, skills, organization, facilities,
technics, physical resources, methods, and technologies, that taken
together and in relationship to one another are devoted to the study
and understanding of the natural world.

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Output and Root Function of S & T
Science Technology
Output Technic and Theory-based or
Technic-related theory-related
intellectual construct knowledge of nature
Root Function Extend the realm of Attaining an
practical human enhanced
possibility understanding of
the natural world
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Characteristic Processes of S & T

Technology Science
Formulation of
Identification
Construct/
Identification of Phenomenon
Design Phase Theory
of Needs

Application
Adoption /
of the
rejection
construct
Production
Use Phase Assessment
Phase
of the
Adequacy

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