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UNIT 5: Contexts of Science and Technology

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Title: UNIT 5: Contexts of Science and Technology


1
UNIT 5 Contexts of Science and Technology
  • Science and technology never exist in a vacuum,
    on the contrary, they always unfold in a definite
    context McGinn

2
Types of Context
  • Micro Closely related, either geographically or
    logically to the conduct or evaluation of
    activities.
  •  
  • Example The micro context of an experiment may
    consist of the socio-technical setting of the
    laboratory
  • Macro More comprehensive, typically extending
    far beyond the geographic locus of the activity
    or its reference peer group and may encompass the
    entire region, nation, or world.
  •  
  • Example Chernobyl, 1965 Blackout, Three Mile
    Island,
  • Acid Rain
  • Both Micro and Macro Contexts are important when
    determining the Cause and Effect relationships of
    science and technology.

3
Five Key Dimensions of the Context of Science and
Technology
  • 1. Practitioner Dimension Specific individual
    or individuals involved.
  • Example Edison vs. Davinci
  •  2.Technical Dimension Pursuit of a technical
    innovation
  • Example ATTs Bell Lab, 1948 development of
    the transistor
  • 3. Political-Economic Dimension The most
    familiar dimension of the context
    of scientific and technological developments.
  • Prevailing constellation of political and
    economic forces and interests
  • Example Apollo Program of 1969 Politically
    motivated

4
Five Key Dimensions of the Context of Science and
Technology (cont.)
  • 4. Cultural Dimension The Culture of a society
    refers to the grand total of all objects, ideas
    knowledge, institutions, ways of doing things,
    habits, behavioral patterns, values, and
    attitudes, which each generation in a society
    receives and passes on, often in an altered form,
    to the next generation.
  • Foreground and Background Cultural Factors
  • Foreground Special actions and motives of
    particular individuals or organizations on the
    specific resources and strategies employed. The
    context comprised solely of such proximate
    factors is referred to as the immediate social
    system
  • Background Backdrop that serves to help
    society and its members fulfill their respective
    needs.

5
Five Key Dimensions of the Context of Science and
Technology (cont.)
  • Example of Foreground and Background Cultural
    Factors The Supersonic Transport (SST) 1971
  •  
  • Foreground Specific congressional votes in
    March and May
  • of 1971 denying funding.
  •  
  • Background Protest movements of 1960s against
    environmental degradation and the war in Viet Nam

6
Five Key Dimensions of the Context of Science and
Technology (cont.)
  • 5.Environmental Dimension Natural environmental
    context The Physical Context

7
The Cultural-Environmental System Model (See page
57 McGinn)
  • Ideational Subsystem The realm of Societys
    cultural system including Characteristic Mental
    Phenomena
  • Core Ideas
  • World Views
  • Recognized Body of Knowledge
  • Core Beliefs
  • Central Values
  • Behavioral Norms ......
  • and its characteristic
  •  
  • Tastes
  • Styles
  • Attitudes
  • Expectations and
  • Aspirations

8
The Cultural-Environmental System Model (See page
57 McGinn)
  • Societal Subsystem Consists of characteristic
    non-mental forms and structures that it has
    evolved to regulate or facilitate social
    interaction, survival, and evolution including
    its
  • Institutions (family, school, work,church,
    etc.)
  • Groups (families, communities, political
    parties, labor unions)
  • Organizations (universities, corporations,
    sects)
  • Classes
  • Social Structure
  • Roles
  • Statuses
  • Rituals

9
The Cultural-Environmental System Model (See page
57 McGinn)
  • Material Subsystem
  •  
  • Material Artifacts (technics)
  • Technologies
  • Ways of making things, and
  • Human made or Built environments

10
The Cultural-Environmental System Model (See page
57 McGinn)
  • PersonalityBehavior Subsystems
  • Personality Traits and Behavior Patterns
  • Environmental Subsystem The natural
    environmental realm includes the physical
    features of the area in which the society is
    located.

11
Understanding the Causes of Scientific and
Technological Developments
  • Invoking CES Model for the Scientific Revolution
  • Example 1 Causes Scientific Revolution of the
    17th Century
  •  
  • The Cultural-Environmental System Model Invoked
  • Ideational Phenomena
  • Revival of interest in classical thought and
    art in 15th century Italy
  • Scholars translated numerous Greek and Latin
    Works -
  • Scientific Treatises
  • Role of Mathematics in Renaissance Classical
    Revival
  • Rediscovery of the works of Plato and
    Pythagorean in which mathematics
    was central - the language of science

12
Understanding the Causes of Scientific and
Technological Developments Invoking the CES
Model for the Scientific and Industrial Revolution
  • Example 1 Causes Scientific Revolution of the
    17th Century
  • Societal Subsystem
  • Medieval Social Institution - The University
    Anatomy, Astronomy and Theory of Motion
  • Material Cultural Subsystem
  •   Proliferating Technology of the Renaissance
  • Mechanistic World View
  • Printing Press

13
Understanding the Causes of Scientific and
Technological Developments
  • Invoking CES Model for the Industrial Revolution
  • Example 2 Causes Industrial Revolution in
    Britain (1750-1850)
  •  
  • The first phase of the first Industrial
    Revolution consisted of four Techno-Economic
    changes
  • 1. Development of better power sources
  • 2. Progressive mechanization of human work
  • 3. Improved processes for transforming raw
    materials into states suitable for
    manufacturing and
  • 4. The factory system

14
Understanding the Causes of Scientific and
Technological Developments
  • Invoking CES Model for the Industrial Revolution
  • Example 2 Causes Industrial Revolution in
    Britain (1750-1850)
  • Environmental Subsystem
  •   Britains Oceanic Position gave easy access to
    overseas markets and supplies
  •  
  • Abundance of natural resources - domestic and
    colonies
  •  
  • Roads built for commerce in Britain - In France
    built for monarchy

15
Understanding the Causes of Scientific and
Technological Developments
  • Invoking CES Model for the Industrial Revolution
  • Example 2 Causes Industrial Revolution in
    Britain (1750-1850)
  • Ideational
  • British had no cultural attitudes of disdain
    toward industrial activity and commerce
  •  
  • Laissez-Faire (hands off) approach by
    government toward entrepreneurship

16
Understanding the Causes of Scientific and
Technological Developments
  • Invoking CES Model for the Industrial Revolution
  • Example 2 Causes Industrial Revolution in
    Britain (1750-1850)
  • Societal-Cultural
  •  
  • Capitalist Private profit-oriented market
    economy including a patent system
  •  
  • National Banking System

17
Understanding the Causes of Scientific and
Technological Developments
  • Invoking CES Model for the Industrial Revolution
  • Example 2 Causes Industrial Revolution in
    Britain (1750-1850)
  • Material Cultural
  •  Inventions and innovations
  • Mining coal
  • Power technologies
  • Textile Mills

18
Understanding the Causes of Scientific and
Technological Developments
  • Invoking CES Model for the Industrial Revolution
  • Example 2 Causes Industrial Revolution in
    Britain (1750-1850)
  • Personality/Behavior
  • Industrial Entrepreneur British approved of
    the concept

19
Understanding the Consequences of Scientific and
Technological Developments
  • Example 1 Effects The Scientific Revolution
  •  
  • World view of and educated person changed
  •  
  • Earth center of universe to Earth as a tiny
    planet in an infinite universe

20
Understanding the Consequences of Scientific and
Technological Developments
  • Example 2 Effects The Industrial Revolution
  •  
  • Society totally transformed
  •  
  • Enormous wealth by individuals
  •  
  • New concept of work and family
  •  
  • Beginning of pollution and ecological problems
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