UNIT 5: Contexts of Science and Technology

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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Five Key Dimensions of the Context of Science and
Technology (cont.)

• 5.Environmental Dimension Natural environmental
  context The Physical Context

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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