Reflections on Science, Technology and Democracy
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Historians of Technology in the Real World: Reflections on the Pursuit of Policy-Oriented History
Historians of Technology in the Real World: Reflections on the Pursuit of Policy-Oriented History Richard F. Hirsh Technology and Culture, Volume 52, Number 1, January 2011, pp. 6-20 (Article) Published by The Johns Hopkins University Press DOI: 10.1353/tech.2011.0039 For additional information about this article http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/tech/summary/v052/52.1.hirsh.html Access provided by Virginia Polytechnic Inst. __ACCESS_STATEMENT__ St.University __ACCESS_STATEMENT__ (Viva) (6 Feb 2014 13:11 GMT) 02_52.1hirsh 6–20:03_49.3dobraszczyk 568– 1/22/11 7:49 AM Page 6 Historians of Technology in the Real World Reflections on the Pursuit of Policy-Oriented History RICHARDF.HIRSH Nearly all historians writing about their craft begin by explaining the value of studying the past. According to the authors of a popular primer, history represents a collective memory that provides an awareness of past events, helping us shape our present and future.1 History has great practical signif- icance, notes another academic, because “intelligent action” draws on past experience.2 As a consequence of the way pedagogues extol the relevance of their work, many high-school students can paraphrase Santayana’s dictum that “[t]hose who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”3 Despite widespread acceptance of the notion that history provides tan- gible benefits, historians usually remain reluctant to apply “lessons” to real- world situations, especially in the realms of public and business policy. Eager to be viewed as unbiased, dispassionate observers of events, most aca- demic historians seem happy to write primarily for their peers. -
Curriculum Vitae Ned O'gorman Associate Professor Department Of
Curriculum Vitae Ned O’Gorman Associate Professor Department of Communication University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 325 Communication Building, MC-456 1207 Oregon St. Urbana, IL 61801 USA Office Phone: 217.265.0859 Email: [email protected] Web: http://nogorman.org Education Ph.D., 2005, The Pennsylvania State University M.Div., Covenant Theological Seminary M.A., University of Tennessee B.A., Saint Louis University Academic Appointments and Affiliations 2012-present, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Illinois 2015-16, Visiting Faculty Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia 2005-present, Core Faculty, Center for Writing Studies, University of Illinois 2010-present, Core Faculty, Program for Arms Control, Defense, and International Security 2012-13, Faculty Fellow, Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois 2005-2012, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, University of Illinois Awards & Honors 2103-18, Conrad Humanities Professorial Scholar, University of Illinois 2014, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, University of Illinois 2012-13, Center for Advanced Study Fellow, University of Illinois 2013-15, Faculty Member, INTERSECT initiative in Technology Studies, Graduate College, University of Illinois. 2010, National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow (through Vectors/USC Summer Institute) 2010, Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities, Collaborative Research Project Award 2007-08, Humanities -
Rhetoric for Becoming Otherwise
The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of the Liberal Arts RHETORIC FOR BECOMING OTHERWISE: LIFE, LITERATURE, GENEALOGY, FLIGHT A Dissertation in English by Abram D. Anders © 2009 Abram D. Anders Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2009 ii The dissertation of Abram D. Anders was reviewed and approved* by the following: Richard M. Doyle Professor of English and Science, Technology and Society Dissertation Advisor Chair of Committee Jeffrey T. Nealon Liberal Arts Research Professor of English Xiaoye You Assistant Professor of English and Asian Studies Robert A. Yarber, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Art Robert R. Edwards Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English and Comparative Literature Department of English Graduate Director *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School. iii ABSTRACT Rhetoric for Becoming Otherwise begins with the Isocratean premise that thought, speech, writing are best understood as bridges between the already said of language and the emerging circumstances that are the occasions for their production. This argument is rehearsed across a variety of domains and instances following Isocrates exhortation that the rhetorician or practitioner of philosophia can only model the movement of discourse without expecting to provide any “true knowledge” or “absolute theory” for how to encounter the problematics of an endlessly deferred present. As a matter of rhetoric, becoming otherwise is the continually renewed task of creating something new from the resources of language and for the demands of an ever deferred present—Presocratics versus Classicists (Chapter 1). As a matter of health, becoming otherwise is the necessity of overcoming limitation and suffering in order to achieve new norms of health and pursue the ever changing opportunities of a self‐developing capacity for producing new capacities—Normativity versus Normalization (Chapter 2). -
Taking Technology Seriously: Introduction to the Special Issue on New Technologies and Global Environmental Politics • Simon Nicholson and Jesse L
Taking Technology Seriously: Introduction to the Special Issue on New Technologies and Global Environmental Politics • Simon Nicholson and Jesse L. Reynolds* Human beings are at once makers of and made by technology. The ability to wield tools was an essential ingredient in propelling an otherwise unremarkable ape to a position of dominance over ecological and even planetary affairs. This dominance has been attained through a remaking of the physical world and has produced a planet fundamentally altered. Technology, this is to say, has been central to history and human-induced environmental change. Our earliest significant environ- mental impacts appear to have been mass extinctions of megafauna, especially in North and South America, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, enabled by hunting and trapping tools and techniques. These were followed by large-scale land use changes from the rise of agriculture, another early set of technologies that were key to Homo sapiens’ success (Boivin et al. 2016). Technology presents a paradox. Existing, emerging, and anticipated technol- ogies offer remarkable possibilities for human well-being and the environmental condition. Since 1900, global average life expectancy has more than doubled and continues to rise (Roser et al. 2013). Most people can access information and educational opportunities that in the not-too-distant past were restricted to a tiny elite. The growth of farmland—which may be the leading direct driver of change in nature (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services 2019)—has recently been reversed through agricultural intensification (World Bank, n.d.). Ozone-depleting substances have been largely replaced by synthetic substitutes. -
The Effects of Technology and Innovation on Society Peter Sasvari
Bahria University Journal of Information & Communication Technology Vol. 5, Issue 1 December 2012 The Effects of Technology and Innovation on Society Peter Sasvari Abstract- Various models of the information society have been Information as a term became more and more popular in the developed so far and they are so different from country to last 30-40 years; it has started to have an increasingly country that it would be rather unwise to look for a single, all- important role in everyday language while its strict meaning encompassing definition. In our time a number of profound mentioned above has gradually faded away. At the same time, socio-economic changes are underway. The application of these theories and schools on ICT is problematic in many respects. there has been a growing uncertainty about the true meaning First, as we stated above, there is not a single, widely used of the term 'information'. All this doubtfulness is mainly paradigm which has synthesised the various schools and theories caused by the so-called 'information-centered' world we are dealing with technology and society. Second, these fragmented living in and by the widespread expansion of information and approaches do not have a fully-fledged mode of application to the communication technology as almost everyone living in relationship of ICT and (information) society. Third, SCOT, developed western societies can experience the phenomenon ANT, the evolutionary- or the systems approach to the history of technology when dealing with information society – does not take called the Information Revolution. All this suggests that into account the results of approaches studying the very essence information has become an essential part of our society and of the information age: information, communication and plays a centre role in our lives. -
Some Notes on Theories of Technology, Society and Innovation Systems for S&T Policy Studies
1 Some notes on theories of Technology, Society and Innovation Systems for S&T policy studies Mónica Salazar-Acosta and Adam Holbrook CPROST Report 08-02 2 3 Some notes on theories of technology, society and innovation systems for science and technology policy studies Mónica Salazar-Acosta and Adam Holbrook, with editorial comments by Glenda Shaw-Garlock CENTRE FOR POLICY RESEARCH ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Vancouver BC Report 08-02 Introduction Does technology shape society, or does society influence our technological choices? Is technological determinism a theory of society or a theory of technology? The debate on Science, Technology and Society (STS) studies has been animated by two opposite views on technology: one that affirms that technology shapes society, and the other that society shapes technology. The former, is commonly associated with the notion of technological determinism; while the latter could be labeled ‘social shaping of technology’ which covers various approaches, such as social constructivism and actor-network theory. Neither provides an overall view: one looks at the forest and the other at the trees, but both have failed to give us a comprehensive view of technological change and the major forces driving social change. What follows is an examination of technological determinism – the shaping of society by technology - and the influence of society on the evolution of technology . It does not pretend to be exhaustive or representative of the most recent scholarship on the subject. A good, recent, -
The New World of Discovery, Invention, and Innovation: Convergence of Knowledge, Technology, and Society
J Nanopart Res (2013) 15:1946 DOI 10.1007/s11051-013-1946-1 PERSPECTIVES The new world of discovery, invention, and innovation: convergence of knowledge, technology, and society Mihail C. Roco • William S. Bainbridge Received: 13 August 2013 / Accepted: 14 August 2013 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht (outside the USA) 2013 Abstract Convergence of knowledge and technol- research, development, and applications based on ogy for the benefit of society (CKTS) is the core dynamic system-logic deduction, (3) enhancement of opportunity for progress in the twenty-first century. creativity and innovation through evolutionary pro- CKTS is defined as the escalating and transformative cesses of convergence that combines existing princi- interactions among seemingly different disciplines, ples and divergence that generates new ones, (4) the technologies, communities, and domains of human utility of higher-level cross-domain languages to activity to achieve mutual compatibility, synergism, generate new solutions and support transfer of new and integration, and through this process to create knowledge, and (5) the value of vision-inspired basic added value and branch out to meet shared goals. research embodied in grand challenges. CKTS is a Convergence has been progressing by stages over the general purpose approach in knowledge society. It past several decades, beginning with nanotechnology allows society to answer questions and resolve prob- for the material world, followed by convergence of lems that isolated capabilities cannot, as well as to nanotechnology, biotechnology, information, and create new competencies, knowledge, and technolo- cognitive science (NBIC) for emerging technologies. gies on this basis. Possible solutions are outlined for CKTS is the third level of convergence. -
STS Departments, Programs, and Centers Worldwide
STS Departments, Programs, and Centers Worldwide This is an admittedly incomplete list of STS departments, programs, and centers worldwide. If you know of additional academic units that belong on this list, please send the information to Trina Garrison at [email protected]. This document was last updated in April 2015. Other lists are available at http://www.stswiki.org/index.php?title=Worldwide_directory_of_STS_programs http://stsnext20.org/stsworld/sts-programs/ http://hssonline.org/resources/graduate-programs-in-history-of-science-and-related-studies/ Austria • University of Vienna, Department of Social Studies of Science http://sciencestudies.univie.ac.at/en/teaching/master-sts/ Based on high-quality research, our aim is to foster critical reflexive debate concerning the developments of science, technology and society with scientists and students from all disciplines, but also with wider publics. Our research is mainly organized in third party financed projects, often based on interdisciplinary teamwork and aims at comparative analysis. Beyond this we offer our expertise and know-how in particular to practitioners working at the crossroad of science, technology and society. • Institute for Advanced Studies on Science, Technology and Society (IAS-STS) http://www.ifz.tugraz.at/ias/IAS-STS/The-Institute IAS-STS is, broadly speaking, an Institute for the enhancement of Science and Technology Studies. The IAS-STS was found to give around a dozen international researchers each year - for up to nine months - the opportunity to explore the issues published in our annually changing fellowship programme. Within the frame of this fellowship programme the IAS-STS promotes the interdisciplinary investigation of the links and interaction between science, technology and society as well as research on the development and implementation of socially and environmentally sound, sustainable technologies. -
AWARDS ANNUAL MEETING St
2018 SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY AWARDS ANNUAL MEETING st. louis, missouri 11-14 october CONTENTS Society for the History of Technology. 2 2018 Prize Committees .................................................... 3 Awards .................................................................. 9 Previous winners .......................................................... 23 SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY President John Krige Georgia Institute of Technology Vice President Tom Misa University of Minnesota Secretary Jan Korsten Foundation for the History of Technology Treasurer Richard Hirsh Virginia Tech Editor-in-Chief Suzanne Moon University of Oklahoma 2 SHOT Awards 2018 2018 PRIZE COMMITTEES NASA Fellowship The NASA Fellowship in the History of Space Technology, offered by SHOT and supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) History Division, funds either a predoctoral or postdoctoral fellow for up to one academic year to undertake a research project related to the history of space technology. The fellowship supports advanced research related to all aspects of space history, leading to publications on the history of space technology broadly considered, including cultural and intellectual history, institutional history, economic history, history of law and public policy, and history of engineering and management. In 2017 SHOT, the History of Science Society (HSS), and the American Historical Association (AHA) brought their NASA Fellowship Committees together. Each society continues to award a NASA Fellowship, but a committee consisting of one member from each organization will determine the winners of the three fellowships. Angelina Callahan, Naval Research Laboratory – committee member on behalf of SHOT Kranzberg Dissertation Fellowship This award is in memory of the co-founder of the Society, and honors Melvin Kranzberg’s many contributions to developing the history of technology as a field of scholarly endeavor and SHOT as a professional organization. -
AWARDS ANNUAL MEETING Milano 24-27 October
2019 SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY AWARDS ANNUAL MEETING milano 24-27 october www.historyoftechnology.org In 2020 the SHOT Annual Meeting takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana (USA), 7-11 October. CONTENTS Society for the History of Technology. 2 2019 Prize Committees .................................................... 3 2019 Awards and Fellowships ............................................... 9 Awards, Grants and Fellowships Special Interest Groups .......................... 22 Previous winners .......................................................... 25 SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY President Tom Misa University of Minnesota Vice President Arwen Mohun University of Delaware Secretary Jan Korsten Foundation for the History of Technology Treasurer Amy Bix Iowa State University Editor-in-Chief Suzanne Moon University of Oklahoma 2 SHOT Awards 2019 2019 PRIZE COMMITTEES Leonardo da Vinci Medal The highest recognition from the Society for the History of Technology is the Leonardo da Vinci Medal, presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the history of technology, through research, teaching, publication, and other activities. Andras Beck (formerly of the Hungarian Academy of Arts) designed the medal, the face of which shows Leonardo’s head modeled after the artist’s self-portrait. The reverse design shows (in the words of the sculptor) “the basic sources of energy: water, wind, and fire.” A certificate accompanies the medal. John Krige (Chair), Georgia Institute of Technology Jennifer Alexander, -
The Social Construction of Technology: Structural Considerations
Science,Klein, Kleinman Technology, / Social & Human Construction Values of Technology The Social Construction of Technology: Structural Considerations Hans K. Klein Georgia Institute of Technology Daniel Lee Kleinman University of Wisconsin–Madison Although scholarship in the social construction of technology (SCOT) has contributed much to illuminating technological development, most work using this theoretical approach is committed to an agency-centered approach. SCOT scholars have made only limited contributions to illustrating the influence of social structures. In this article, the authors argue for the importance of structural concepts to understanding technological development. They summarize the SCOT conceptual framework defined by Trevor Pinch and Wiebe Bijker and survey some of the methodological and explanatory difficulties that arise with their approach. Then the authors present concepts from organizational sociology and political economy that illuminate structural influences in shaping phe- nomena of interest to SCOT scholars. These structural concepts can be applied to the study of the design, development, and transformation of technology. The authors con- clude that the limited amount of scholarship on structural factors in the social shaping of technological development presents numerous opportunities for research. Researchers in the field of science and technology studies (STS) have pro- duced a great deal of scholarshipin recent years that documents and analyzes the social shaping of technology.1 An important area of this scholarship, known as the social construction of technology (SCOT), traces its origins to Trevor Pinch and Wiebe Bijker’s (1987) article, “The Social Construction of Facts and Artifacts: Or How the Sociology of Science and the Sociology of Technology Might Benefit Each Other.” From this seminal work has flowed a body of research that is rich and diverse—but that has largely remained com- mitted to an agency-centered approach. -
Notes on Participants Wiebe Bijker Is Professor of Technology and Society at Maastricht University and the Norwegian University
Notes on Participants Wiebe Bijker is Professor of Technology and Society at Maastricht University and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, and chairman of the board of NWO-WOTRO. Bijker is founding co-editor of the monograph series “Inside Technology” of MIT Press since 1988. He was trained in applied physics (Delft) and earned his PhD on the social construction of technology (Twente). Publications include: Bijker, W. E., Hughes, T. P., & Pinch, T. J. (1987). The Social construction of technological systems : new directions in the sociology and history of technology. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press; Bijker, W. E. (1995). Of bicycles, bakelites, and bulbs : toward a theory of sociotechnical change. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press; Bijker, W. E., Bal, R., & Hendriks, R. (2009). Paradox of Scientific Authority: the role of scientific advice in democracies. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press; Hommels, Anique, Mesman, Jessica, & Bijker, Wiebe E. (Eds.). (2013). Vulnerability in Technological Cultures. New directions in research and governance. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. In 2006 Bijker received the John Desmond Bernal Prize, awarded jointly by the Society for Social Studies of Science and Thomson Scientific, and in 2012 he was awarded the Leonardo da Vinci Medal by the Society for the History of Technology. Andrew Feenberg has been Canada Research Chair in Philosophy of Technology in the School of Communication of Simon Fraser University since 2003. Since 2013 he has also been Directeur de programme at the Collège International de Philosophie. He was previously professor of Philosophy at San Diego State University from 1969-2003 with some interruptions for visiting appointments at Duke University, the State University of New York at Buffalo, the Universities of California, San Diego and Irvine, the Sorbonne (Paris I), the University of Paris- Dauphine, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, the University of Tokyo, Harvey Mudd College, and Santa Clara University.