Visions of STS: Counterpoints in Science, Technology, and Society Studies (Science Tech Society

by Stephen H. Cutcliffe (Editor), Carl Mitcham

Maps interconnections between science, technology, and society in order to understand both benefits and costs.

176 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

Reviews

[Lauren]

I really love the field of STS (Science, Technology, and Society). If I had it all to do again, I'd have gotten a PhD in it. At the very least I would have majored in it. I checked this book out about a year ago, when I was thinking about getting a PhD in something, and looking to connect the dots between LIS and STS.

The book is a good general one. The collection contains relatively short essays focused on different aspects of STS. I particularly enjoyed being reminded of STS's emphasis on social constructivism, contextualized viewpoints, and general STS theory.

I was also struck by Eulalia Perez Sedeno's chapter on gender; it reminded me of why I minored in Women's and Gender Studies and of numerous fascinating discussions we had along the way.

So, again, I was reminded of STS and how interesting it is as a field. Perhaps the next step is to look into journals in the field and seeing if there's any work I can do that would fit in this niche.