Science, Technology, and Society: New Perspectives and Directions

by Todd L. Pittinsky

Overview

This book gathers inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary perspectives on the effects that today's advances in science and technology have on issues ranging from government policy-making to how we see the differences between men and women. The chapters investigate how invention and innovation really take place, how science differs from competing forms of knowledge, and how science and technology could contribute more to the greater good of humanity. For instance, should there be legal restrictions on 'immoral inventions'? A key theme that runs throughout the book concerns who is taken into account at each stage and who is affected. The amount of influence users have on technology development and how non-users are factored in are evaluated as the impact of scientific and technological progression on society is investigated, including politics, economy, family life, and ethics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781316616895
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	11/21/2019
Series:	Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology
Pages:	374
Product dimensions:	6.02(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

Todd L. Pittinsky is a professor in the Department of Technology and Society at Stony Brook University, State University of New York, and the Faculty Director of its Undergraduate College of Leadership and Service.

Table of Contents

1. Technically based programs in science, technology, and public policy M. Granger Morgan and Douglas Sicker; 2. Comparative studies of science and technology David Horn; 3. On the origins of models of innovation: process and system approaches Benoît Godin; 4. The third wave of science studies Harry Collins and Robert Evans; 5. Legal regulation of technology: supporting innovation, managing risk, and respecting values Roger Brownsword; 6. The social shaping of technology (SST) Robin Williams; 7. Placing users and nonusers at the heart of technology Nelly Oudshoorn; 8. Scientific community Dean Keith Simonton; 9. Genetic engineering and society Jessica Cavin Barnes, Elizabeth A. Pitts, S. Kathleen Barnhill-Dilling and Jason A. Delborne; 10. Technology enables and reduces sex differences in society Jens Mazei; 11. Technology for society Todd L. Pittinsky.

Editorial Reviews

'Todd L. Pittinsky argues for a ‘technology of a greater good’ and outlines the dangers of technology dependence, while explaining how humanity is capable of avoiding such traps. The decision is still in our hands to ensure that technology serves the public good, instead of the dictates of an imagined consumer.' Ferenc Miszlivetz, Director of the Institute of Advanced Studies and Jean Monnet Professor, Hungarian Academy of Science

'Science, Technology, and Society: New Perspectives and Directions contains an absorbing collection of thought-provoking essays on a broad range of topics in science and technology studies. Written by leading scholars, this volume will be useful as a research reference and as an advanced survey of the field for sparking classroom discussions.' John N. Parker, Program Officer and Co-Director of the National Science Foundation’s Science, Technology, and Society Program

‘In Science, Technology, and Society, editor Pittinsky (Stony Brook Univ.) has brought together a highly complementary set of essays that explore how society shapes-and is shaped by-technological innovation. Contributed chapters address a diverse set of technologies including everything from genetic engineering to innovations by farmers in converting old cars into effective agricultural machinery. One especially interesting chapter focuses on the role of technology in reducing sex differences in society, for example by enabling remote work, which can either ease or heighten demands on women who are primary caregivers for young children, and by enabling online commentators to avoid indicating their sex and escape potential stereotyping by colleagues.’ D. P. Genereux, Choice

From the Publisher