Republic of the Philippines

COTABATO FOUNDATION COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Katipunan, Arakan, Cotabato
Telefax: (064) 288-1343
Email Address: cfcstedu@gmail.com; Website: www.cfcst.edu.ph

Module 1
General Concepts and Historical
Developments

This module introduces students to the study of Science, Technology, and

Society (STS) beginning with general concepts and its historical development.
It also covers the impact of science and technology and their interactions within
various social contexts with emphasis on the role of science and technology in
Philippine nation building.

Section 1
 Republic of the Philippines
COTABATO FOUNDATION COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Katipunan, Arakan, Cotabato
Telefax: (064) 288-1343
Email Address: cfcstedu@gmail.com; Website: www.cfcst.edu.ph

Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society

This section introduces Science, Technology, and Society (STS) as a field of study. After
defining science and technology, the section traces the historical roots of STS as an academic field. It
also enumerates emerging ethical dilemmas that reinforce the importance of the study of STS in an
age of scientific progress and technological development.

Desired Learning Outcomes

At the end of IS section, the students should be able to:

1. discuss the general concepts related to science and technology;

2. explain the scope of the study of STS; and

3. demonstrate preparedness and readiness in the study of STS

Diagnostics

Instructions: On the space provided, write TRUE if the statement is correct or FALSE if it is not.

______ 1. Science is a methodical way of acquiring knowledge

______ 2. Technology is the use of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.

______3. Science and technology can be dangerous.

______4. Science, Technology, and Society (STS) is the study of how science and technology shape
and are shaped by social influences.

______5. STS deals with the historical development of science and technology but does not cover
their philosophical underpinnings.

_____6. The study of STS primarily concerns students of science and technology programs and not
non-science students as much.

______7. STS is an important area of study because science and technology permeate every aspect of
everyday life.

______8. Science and technology are not crucial factors in nation building.

______9. History cannot teach people about evaluating present day science and technology.
 Republic of the Philippines
COTABATO FOUNDATION COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Katipunan, Arakan, Cotabato
Telefax: (064) 288-1343
Email Address: cfcstedu@gmail.com; Website: www.cfcst.edu.ph

______10. STS draws from other disciplines, such as history, sociology, philosophy, economics,
political science and international relations, and science policy.

CONTENT FOCUS

Science comes from the Latin word scientia, meaning “knowledge”. It refers to a systematic
and methodical activity of building and organizing knowledge about how the universe behaves
through observation, experimentation or both. According to the famous American science historian,
John Heilbron (2003, p. vii), “Modern science is a discovery as well as an invention.” Heilbron
considered science as a discovery of regularity in nature, enough for natural phenomena to be
described by principles and laws. He also explained that science required invention to devise
techniques, abstractions, apparatuses, and organizations to describe these natural regularities and their
law-like descriptions.

Technology, for its part, is the application of scientific knowledge, laws, and principles to
produce services, materials, tools, and machines aimed at solving real-world problems. It comes from
the Greek root word techne, meaning ‘art, skill, or cunning of hand.’ During a live public Q&A in
December 2014, one member of the audience asked Mark Zuckerberg what his definition of a
technological tool is, and the CEO of Facebook responded:

“What defines a technological tool—one historical definition--- is something that takes a

human’s sense or ability and augments it and makes it more powerful. So, for example, I wear contact
lenses or glasses; that is a technology that enhances my human ability of vision and makes it better.”

Wolpert (2005) made an interesting comparison between science and technology that is
helpful in the study of their interaction with society. In his landmark paper, The Medawar Lecture
1998: Is Science Dangerous? Wolpert explained that reliable scientific knowledge has no ethical
dilemmas and policy issues in science and technology every year. Below is the list for 2018:

1. Helix – a digital app store designed to read genomes

2. BlessU-2 and Pepper – first robot priest and monk
3. Emotion-Sensing Facial Recognition - a software being developed to assess your
reactions to anything such as shopping and playing games.
4. Ransomware - a way of holding data hostage through hacking and requiring a ransom to be paid.
5. Textalyzer – a device that analyses whether a driver was using his or her phone during
accident.
6. Social Credit System – a system of scoring citizens through their actions by placing them
under constant surveillance (which China plays to adopt)

7. Google Clips – a hands-free camera that lets the user capture every moment effortlessly
8. Sentencing Software – a mysterious algorithm designed to aid courts in sentencing
decisions
9. Friendbot – an app that stores the deceased’s digital footprint so one can still “chat” with
them
10. Citizen App – an app that notifies users of ongoing crimes or major events in a specific
area
 Republic of the Philippines
COTABATO FOUNDATION COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Katipunan, Arakan, Cotabato
Telefax: (064) 288-1343
Email Address: cfcstedu@gmail.com; Website: www.cfcst.edu.ph

Even though several items in the list sound unfamiliar to many, it can be a useful springboard
in the study of science and technology. The list points to the over-growing challenges questions, and
issues that need to be addressed and resolved when science and technology and humanity intertwine.
However, methods of critiquing these emerging ethical dilemmas may come from similar methods
used in previous critiques of science and technology issues. For example, one can use methods used in
critiquing the rise of clinical trials of gene therapy in the 1990s. Today’s approach in critiquing
emerging science and technology issues, such as the ones listed above, may be influenced by how
scientists an non-scientists evaluated the positive and negative purpose, on can continue to
specifically draw from the tenets of history, philosophy, and sociology in making informed and
critical judgments of the ethical and moral values of these innovations in science and technology.

Exercise 1. Reflection Task 1 (Individual Task)

Name: ____________________________________ Date Submitted: _________________

Course/Section: ____________________________

Instructions: On the space below, paste a magazine or newspaper cut-out of any photograph that
depicts an issue or problem in science and technology. Then, answer the questions that follow.
 Republic of the Philippines
COTABATO FOUNDATION COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Katipunan, Arakan, Cotabato
Telefax: (064) 288-1343
Email Address: cfcstedu@gmail.com; Website: www.cfcst.edu.ph

1. What is the issue or problem depicted in the photograph?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
___________

2. How does this particular issue or problem impact the well-being of humans today?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____

3. Why is it important for people to study and learn about STS in an academic field, especially
in addressing the issue or problem depicted in the photograph?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____