SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,

AND SOCIETY
A Reading Material

Prepared by:
Christine Polyanna Zabariza
Department of Biological Sciences
I. INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
A. The Nature of Science, Technology, and Society
WHAT IS SCIENCE?
1. Science is an empirical field.
From the Greek word empeirikos meaning "experienced’, the term empirical was originally used in
medicine for doctors making choices based on observation and experiment rather than theoretical ideas. Today,
it is used to refer to any kind of knowledge that comes from experience. Taking these into context, science as
an empirical field simply means that it is a body of knowledge built up out of the elements of experience. You
need to use your senses- seeing, hearing, tasting touching, and smelling. But most importantly, we use our
common sense above all! Simply put, science is not science without proof.
2. Science is a Systematic Field
When we say something is systematic, it follows specific steps in order to reach a certain conclusion. The
same goes with science as it requires a system so it can work. At its core lies a problem-solving approach called
the scientific method. Everything starts with an observation and naturally, questions will pop-up, making you
curious of something. That’s when you create potential answers or educated guesses, scientifically known as
hypothesis. Next, you plan out methods on how you may be able to prove/disprove your hypothesis. Then, you
start collecting data to test its validity. Once all the data are gathered, it is time to examine the information and
draw conclusions about what has been found. The last step is to share your findings with others. It is through
communicating that science is advanced.
3. Science Covers General Truths and Facts

In this day of fake news and conspiracy theories, it’s quite difficult to know the truth about almost
anything. So how do you get truths and facts? Fortunately, science is there! Proper application of the scientific
method allows us to get to the truth through careful observation and rigorous testing and re-examination of
data. Without these steps and just simply concluding things, we will all be left with nothing but empty claims.
4. Science is a Total Societal Enterprise

What does it mean when you say societal enterprise? From the term itself, science achieves social impact
alongside a financial return. So it is a balance between profit and social value. Let’s take medical treatments as
an example. While the hospital benefits from the patients asking for treatment, the hospital’s main goal is to
heal and help people. Science should not be seen as just for the advancement of knowledge, nor as a mere
economic activity, providing products and services to generate income, no. Science is mainly there to develop
relevant, effective, and accessible solutions according to the needs of the community.

Science generally means state of knowing or possessing knowledge that is sufficiently general, clearly
conceptualized, carefully reasoned, systematically organized, critically examined, and empirically tested.
 WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY?
1. Technology is an Applied Science

Applied science is a discipline that is used to apply existing scientific method and knowledge drawn from
conclusions to develop more practical goals and applications. Technology is one of the fruits of studies and
discoveries in scientific history. Do you ever wonder how rockets were formed and soared into space? The
design of a flight vehicle demands a knowledge of many technology/engineering disciplines and complex
scientific concepts and processes. Technological advancement is made possible because of scientific research,
knowledge, and discoveries. Technology, in essence, is one of the many applications of science.
2. Technology is a Body of Knowledge and Skills by which We Control and Modify the World
We already know that science is a body of knowledge – a collection of valuable information about a
certain phenomenon. But we should realize that technology is also the same. From intelligent robots and self-
driving cars to gene editing and 3D printing, dramatic technological change is happening at lightning speed all
around us with the use of systematized knowledge and skills. With the rise of the digital age, technology has the
power to do many things, and changing the world is one of them. Long time ago, air travel was way too vague a
concept to grasp but now, we can even go to the space! Communication was made unbelievably fast and
convenient. Computers are increasingly faster, more portable, and higher-powered than ever before. With all
of these revolutions, technology has also made our lives easier, faster, better, and more fun.
3. Technology is a Total Societal Enterprise
Just like science, technology is supposedly a total societal enterprise. Again, that means that social
welfare or benefit of the community must always be in the picture. But with the rise of capitalism, the financial
value is now being considered more than the social value.

Definition of Society

Society is a group of people with common interests, traditions, purpose, and/or activity. Human societies
are characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between individuals who share a distinctive
culture and institutions. A society can enable its members to benefit in ways that would not otherwise be
possible on an individual basis

Interconnections of S-T-S
Let us see the interplay among these three terms. Science aims to improve society. When society
improves, it develops hunger for further improvement and so demands more from science. Society also benefits
from technology because technology makes life easier for society. When technology is newly created, society
enjoys its benefits, but as further problem arises, some technology needs to be improved and so technology
demands from science because in most cases science informs technology. This is the ideal setting. Of course in
a real-life setting, there are also other factors that come into play. The influence of the government, the
capitalists, and other sectors in the society on these interconnections make it complicated.
Emergence of STS as a New Field of Study
Science and Technology Studies (STS) is a relatively new academic field. Its roots lie in the interwar period
and continue into the start of the Cold War, when historians and sociologists of science, and scientists
themselves, became interested in the relationship between scientific knowledge, technological systems, and
society. The best-known product of this interest was Thomas Kuhn’s classic 1962 study, The Structure of
Scientific Revolutions.

This influential work helped crystallize a new approach to historical and social studies of science, in which
scientific facts were seen as products of scientists’ socially conditioned investigations rather than as objective
representations of nature.

Originally, STS is only offered at the University of the Philippines Diliman but in 2013, the Commission on Higher
Education adopted the course and included STS in the list of General Education subject offerings of colleges and
universities in the entire country.
Science, Technology and Society (STS) is an interdisciplinary field that studies the conditions under which the
production, distribution and utilization of scientific knowledge and technological systems occur; the
consequences of these activities upon different groups of people. It tracks the history of disciplines, the
dynamics of science as a social institution and the philosophical basis for scientific knowledge.