F I E L D S

- gender, race & science
- science & technology
- sexuality
- biology

Science & Technology Studies

INTRO - RESOURCES - LINKS

I N T R O D U C T I O N

VISIT BROWN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY STUDIES PROGRAM WEBSITE.

Students and scholars in the field of science and technology studies want to know how scientific knowledge is produced. We believe that the idealized accounts of knowledge production entrenched in our scientific belief system are inadequate, given the complexity of the process they claim to describe. STS scholars seek to understand how science operates by analyzing historical case studies, observing contemporary scientists at work, examining representations of scientific ideas in textbooks or journals, and studying the infrastructure of scientific institutions. This interdisciplinary field brings together anthropologists, philosophers, historians, literary theorists, sociologists and some practicing scientists. The multidisciplinary nature of STS results from the wide variety of influences that contribute to the construction of scientific knowledge.

I became interested in science studies after I wrote Myths of Gender. Originally I had formulated my questions around the hunt for racism or sexism in science. But I encountered so many instances of good scientists doing what some would call "bad science" about race and gender that I began to wonder if there wasn't something more generic about the production of scientific knowledge that I needed to understand. Thus began my search to understand more broadly, how cultural setting--time and place--become part of the production of scientific knowledge. This led to my second book--Sexing the Body.

For those who would like a broad introduction into the field of science studies I recommend the following books and web sites:

R E S O U R C E S

Biagioli, Mario, ed. (1999). The Science Studies Reader. Routledge.

Clough, Sharyn (2003) Beyond epistemology : a pragmatist approach to feminist science studies, Rowman & Littlefield.

Hacking, Ian (1999) The Social Construction of What? Harvard University Press.

Hess,  David J. (1997) Science Studies : An Advanced Introduction. New York University Press.

Jasanoff, Sheila et al., eds. (1995) Handbook of science and technology studies 
Sage Publications.

Kohler, Robert E. (1994) Lords of the Fly: Drosophila genetics and the experimental Life. Chicago University Press.

Kourany, Janet A. (2002) The Gender of Science, Prentice Hall.

Latour, Bruno (1988 ) Science in Action. Harvard University Press.

Sismondo, Sergio (2004) An introduction to science and technology studies, Blackwell.

Williams, S.; L. Birke, G. Bendelow, eds. (2003) Debating Biology, Routledge.

L I N K S

ECHO: Exploring & collecting history online "Cataloguing, annotating, and reviewing sites on the History of Science, Technology, & Medicine." 4S-The Society for the Social Studies of Science Annual conference website. International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology Scholars from various disciplines interested specifically in biology. Newsletter, listserv, links. Science Studies Web Server The Science Studies archive is located at the University of Missouri - Kansas City and administered at the Department of Philosophy

HSS: History of Science Society "Founded in 1924 to foster interest in the history of science and its social and cultural relations." Guide to the profession, annual meeting info & publications. SHOT: The Society for the History of Technology Interdisciplinary organization formed in 1958 to "encourage the study of the development of technology and its relations with society and culture". Membership info, resources, newsletter & publications. Worldwide Guide to Science Studies Programs Search by geographic region or subject category.

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Send questions and comments to: webeditor@brown.edu // Last update: 12/17/2003