What role do science and technology play in society? What is the nature of expert knowledge? What is science's relation to democracy?

This introduction to science, technology, and society answers these questions, and more, by exploring contemporary research on topics such as expertise, activism, science policy, and innovation. It offers a comprehensive resource for considering the place that science and technology have in contemporary societies, and the roles that they can and should play.

Accessible to a non-specialist audience, it draws on a rich range of cases and examples, from nuclear activism in India to content moderation in Kenya. Framing science as always social, and society as always shaped by science and technology, it asks: what worlds do we want science and technology to bring into being?

About the Author
Sarah R. Davies is Professor of Technosciences, Materiality, and Digital Cultures in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at the University of Vienna. Her work explores the intersections between science, technology, and society, with a particular focus on digital tools and spaces. Her previous books include Science Communication: Culture, Identity, and Citizenship (2016) and Hackerspaces: Making the Maker Movement (2017).

Reviews

"Ever wondered how culture and society shape science and vice versa? Then this marvellous book is for you. It's full of interesting examples and reflections. You'll never think about science and technology in the same way again." Deborah Lupton, University of New South Wales

"The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and artificial intelligence are reminders of one of the biggest challenges societies face: how should we live with and make decisions about science and technology? Powered by the latest research in Science and Technology Studies, Sarah R. Davies takes a giant step forward in understanding the place of science in society. This book will be a vital resource for years to come." Jack Stilgoe, University College London

"Sarah Davies assuredly leads us through the dense entanglements of contemporary socio-technical encounters. A wonderful introduction to technoscience and society and to the field of Science and Technology Studies." Alan Irwin, Aarhus University and Copenhagen Business School

"Written with humour, grace, and astonishing generosity, Davies's primer to live in today's technoscientific world is a joyous dinner party of old friends and newcomers representing the dazzling, global breadth of scholarship in science and technology studies. Davies coaxes unwieldy skeins of disparate scholarship and case studies into compelling, self-reflective narratives that will surely be a digitally dog-eared resource for myself and my students." Monamie Bhadra Haines, Virginia Tech

"This book provides a multitude of resources for students and citizens to contribute to shaping the relationship between science and technoscience. It is simultaneously erudite and readable." Sally Wyatt, Maastricht University

Book Information
ISBN 9781529229004
Author Sarah R. Davies
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Bristol University Press
Publisher Bristol University Press