Science & Technology Studies

Overview

Science and Technology Studies (STS) is a cross-disciplinary field that investigates how scientific knowledge, technological innovation, and societal structures interact. Rather than treating science and technology as neutral or purely objective, STS scholars analyze the social construction, epistemological foundations, and ethical implications of scientific practices and technological artifacts.

The field emerged in the late 20th century as a critical response to traditional models of scientific progress, integrating insights from anthropology, sociology, history, philosophy, and cultural studies. Today, STS plays a vital role in shaping responsible innovation, science communication, and technology governance.

Historical Development

STS traces its intellectual roots to the Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK) movement at the University of Edinburgh in the 1970s, which challenged the notion that scientific facts are solely determined by empirical evidence. Key early figures like Bloor, Hacking, and Latour pioneered approaches that examined how laboratory practices, institutional funding, and cultural values shape scientific outcomes.

By the 1990s, the field expanded to explicitly include technology, evolving into Science and Technology Studies. This shift emphasized the co-production of science and society, the material agency of technological systems, and the role of public engagement in shaping research agendas.

Core Frameworks

Several theoretical paradigms define contemporary STS research:

• Actor-Network Theory (ANT): Analyzes how human and non-human actors form networks that stabilize scientific facts and technological systems.
• Social Construction of Technology (SCOT): Examines how interpretive flexibility and relevant social groups shape technological design and adoption.
• Co-Production Theory: Argues that science and social order are mutually constitutive, each shaping the other through institutional practices.
• Feminist STS: Critiques andes in scientific knowledge and advocates for inclusive, reflexive methodologies in research and design.
• Participatory Technology Assessment (pTA): Develops democratic processes for evaluating emerging technologies with public and stakeholder input.

Key Topics & Subfields

Explore the major thematic areas within the STS discipline:

Featured Entries

Curated, expert-reviewed articles representing foundational and contemporary scholarship in STS:

Further Reading & Resources

Expand your understanding with these essential texts and archival collections curated by our editorial board:

• Knorr-Cetina, K. & Mulkay, M. (Eds.). Science Observed: Perspectives on the Social Study of Science. Sage, 1983.
• Bijker, W. E., Hughes, T. P., & Pinch, T. (Eds.). The Social Construction of Technological Systems. MIT Press, 1987.
• Jasanoff, S., Kim, S.-H., & Hsu, S. H. Handbook of Science and Technology Studies. MIT Press, 4th ed., 2020.
• Winner, L. "Do Artifacts Have Politics?" Demon/Haunters: On the Politics of Technological Design, 2018.