MODULE 1 |1

Module 1

INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY: NATURE, SCOPE,

AND LIMITATIONS

Introduction:

This module will encompass the intersections among these three fields of
discipline: Science, Technology and Society. This will engage the students to confront
the realities brought about by science and technology in society, with all its socio-
political, cultural, economic, and philosophical underpinning at play.

Module Learning Outcomes:

In this module, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the reciprocal determinism of science, technology, and society;

2. Appreciate the multidimensional study of science, technology, and society; and
3. Create a synthesis paper on articles/journals of science, technology, and society.

I - Pre – Assessment:

Instruction: On the space provided, 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 purposes.
__________ 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.
__________ 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 are of study because science and technology
permeate every aspect of everyday life.
__________ 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.

II - Module Map:

GenEd4 | Science, Technology and Society Go-Aco, 2020

and
 Science, Technol
Society
Scope
INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY | 2

III - Core Content: Limitations

ENGAGE:

Instructions: Define the following terms according to your own understanding.

INTERACTION

SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGY

SOCIETY

ENVIRONMENT

EXPLORE:
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Instructions: In a Venn Diagram, show the possible logical relationship between: a.

science and technology, b. science and society, c. technology and society, and d.
science-technology-society.

a b

EXPLAIN:

Science comes from the Latin word scientia, meaning ‘knowledge’. It refers to a
systematic and methodical activity of building and organizing knowledge about how the
universe behaves through observation, experimentation of both. According to the
famous American science historian, John Heilbron (2003, p. vii), “Modern science is a
discovery as well as an invention.” Heilbron considered science as a discovery of
regularity in nature, enough for natural phenomena to be described by principles and
laws.

GenEd4 | Science, Technology and Society Go-Aco, 2020

 INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY | 4

Figure 1. Miracles of Modern Science: Fall Tour Poster, 2013 Hamline

Technology, for its part, is the application of scientific knowledge, laws, and
principles to produce services, materials, tools, and machines aimed at solving real-
world problems. It comes from the Greek root word techne, mean ‘art, skill, or cunning
of hand’. Science may drive technological development by generating demand for new
instruments to address a scientific questions or issues, or by illustrating technical
possibilities previously unconsidered.

In turn, technology
may drive scientific
investigation, by creating
demand for technological
improvements that can only
be produced through scientific
research and investigation,
and by raising questions about
the underlying principles that
a new technology relies on. In
other words, technology is a
child (product) or science; and
science is the parent (cause)
of technology. Technology
uses scientific principles and
scientific findings in achieving technological advancement in improvement. Without
science, technological improvement is left to chance.

Science and technology affect society in general. These are follows:

▪ Improved S&T result to industrialization and thus converting a simple society to a

complex one;
▪ People’s life and lifestyle change as a result of improved S&T;
▪ Urbanization results when S&T improve because people usually migrate to a
place where their basic needs are met;
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▪ People have stronger desire for material goods when S&T improve in the place;
and
▪ More discoveries and inventions that benefit the people due to improved S&T.

According to popular American scientist, Carl Sagan, quoted in Tom Head’s (2006)
book:

“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.”
Tom Head, 2006

As problems in science and technology continue to rise and become more

observable, the need to pay attention to their interactions with various aspects of
human life, e.g., social, political, and economic, becomes ever more necessary. How the
different aspects of society shape and influence the progression and further
development of science and technology in the area of concern of a relatively new
academic discipline called Science, Technology and Society.

In general, STS applies methods drawn from history, philosophy, and sociology
to study the nature of science and technology and ultimately judge their value and
place in society. As an interdisciplinary field, the emergence of STS was a result of
questions about society and technology’s dynamic interaction with various aspects of
society and was viewed as a socially embedded enterprise. This, as the Kennedy School
affectively encapsulates, STS seeks to bridge the gap between two traditionally
exclusive cultures – humanities (interpretative) and 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.

EXTEND

Instructions: On the space below, paste a magazine or newspaper cutout/captured of

any photograph that depicts an issue or problem in science and technology. The,
answer the questions that follow.

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 INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY | 6

1. What is the issue or problem depicted in the photograph?

2. How does this particular issue or problem impact the well-being of humans today?

3. Why is it important for people to study and learn about STS as an academic field,
especially in addressing the issue or problem depicted in the photograph?

EVALUATE

Instructions: Read Lewis Wolpert’s The Medawar Lecture 1998 Is Science Dangerous?
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1569503/). Then, create a synthesis
paper about it with the following key points:

o Font Style: Times New Roman

o Font Size: 12
o Double Spacing
o Normal Margin (1” margins)
o The header should include your name, your instructor’s name, course and
section, and the date (dd/mm/yy)
o The last page includes a Work Cited

Note: Please submit your output in our google classroom or you may print out a hard
copy and submit it personally in your instructor.

IV - Post-Assessment

Instruction: On the space provided, write TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE
if it is not.

__________ 1. Science is a methodical way of acquiring knowledge.

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__________ 2. Technology is the use of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.

__________ 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.
__________ 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 are of study because science and technology
permeate every aspect of everyday life.
__________ 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.

V - Topic Summary

In this module, you have learned that …

✔ Science is a systematic and organized body of knowledge that explains or
predicts nature and the universe.
✔ Technology is a collection of methods, techniques, and processes used in the
production of goods and services, or the accomplishment of objectives, such as
scientific investigation, or any other consumer demands.
✔ Nowadays, advancement in science and technology have become pervasive.
They are manifested in the activities that human pursue and the tools they use
every day.
✔ However, the dynamism and immensity of scientific and technological process
also pose challenges and drawbacks to the way human live. Introduction of
machines tremendously cut the need for human workforce and gave rise to
questions about whether machines will eventually replace humans
✔ Indeed, science and technology have served a predominantly double-edged
function.

VI – Reference

Ariola, M. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. Unlimited Books Library

Services and Publishing Incorporated

McNamara, D., et.al. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing
Incorporated

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 INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY | 8

Quinto, E. J., et.al. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing
Incorporated

Wolpert, L. (2005). The Medawar Lecture 1998? Is Science Dangerous? Retrieved

on July 7, 2020 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1569503/