Course Code: GE 5

Descriptive Title: Science, Technology and Society

Course Description

STS is an essential course in the General Education curriculum for tertiary

education. The course deals with interactions between science and technology and
social, cultural, political, and economic contexts (CMO No. 20, series of 2013). It is an
interdisciplinary course hereby engages students to confront the realities of various
scientific issues and technological developments. Such realities pervade the personal,
the public, and the global aspects of our living and are integral to human development.
Scientific knowledge and technological development happen in the context of society
with all its socio-political, cultural, economic, and philosophical underpinnings at play.
This course is design to develop deep appreciation and critical understanding of the role
of science and technology in the society and will instil reflective knowledge in the
students that they are able to live the good life and display ethical decision making in
the face of scientific and technological advancement. This course includes mandatory
topics on climate change and environmental awareness.

Grading System

Each student shall be assessed on the following:

Class Participation 10%

Activities 20%

Quizzes 20%

PreMid/Prefi Exam 25%

MidTerm/Final Exam 25%

100%
Learning Outcomes

At the end of the semester, the students must be able to:

1. articulate the impacts of science and technology on society, specifically Philippine

society;

2. explain how science and technology affect society and the environment and its role
in nation-building;

3. analyze the human condition in order to deeply reflect and express philosophical
ramifications that are meaningful to the student as a part of society;

4. define and demonstrate the impact of social media on the students‟ life and
Philippine society in general;

5. imbibe the importance of science and technology in the preservation of the

environment and the development of the Filipino nation;

6. critique human flourishing vis-à-vis the progress of science and technology such that
the student may be able to define for himself/herself the meaning of the good life;

7. foster the value of a healthy lifestyle toward the holistic and sustainable development
of society and the environment;

8. creatively present the importance and contributions of science and technology to

society;

9. examine shared concerns that make up the good life in order to come up with
innovative and creative solutions to contemporary issues guided by ethical
standards; and

10. illustrate how the social media and information age impact their lives and their
understanding of climate change.
 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 lesson traces the historical roots of
STS as an academic field. It also enumerates emerging dilemmas that reinforce the
importance of the study of STS in an age of scientific progress and technological
development.

I. Objectives

At the end of the lesson, 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.

Explain

Science is our most effective way of understanding the natural world. All science
involves some form of observation or experiment, and some sort of theorising about
how to explain the evidence collected. Science comes from the Latin word scientia,
meaning “knowledge”. Science is defined as the system of knowledge of the natural
world gained through the scientific method. It was originally called “philosophy of the
natural world” since it stemmed from the ancient Greeks’ desire to know about nature.
In addition, science is concerned with evidence and with theory. Scientific evidence
often comes from experiments, though some sciences, such as astronomy and geology,
do not do experiments. To explain the evidence, theories are put forward, and further
evidence is often sought, to see whether the theory accords with additional
observations. The exact relationship between theory and evidence is extremely
complex, and at this stage we simply note that science involves both.

Technology is even more difficult to outline than science. It comes from a Greek
root word techne, meaning “art, skill or cunning of hand” and logia – meaning a “subject
or interest.” Taken together, the term has come to mean “ practical applications of what
we know about nature” using scientific principles for the betterment of the human
situation. Many people regard technology as simply applied science. In their view,
scientists produce knowledge and then technologists turn it into important products and
devices, such as computers and spacecraft. As what was observed, science did not
begin to be systematically incorporated into our production systems until the middle of
the nineteenth century. If technology is simply 'applied science', we would have to
conclude that there was no technology before that. In fact, quite complex and
sophisticated technologies were needed to build the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall
of China, and the ancient irrigation systems of India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Such
knowledge was based on craft rather than science, with knowledge being slowly
accumulated and applied (often through trial and error) and passed on from one
generation to the next.

Broadly, we regard technology as a body of skills and knowledge by which we

control and modify the world. More and more, technology is being influenced by
scientific knowledge, with spectacular results. Technology has always been important in
human affairs. Military technology, such as the bow and arrow and the armour worn by
knights, has enabled kings to carve out huge empires. The technology of shipbuilding
and navigation enabled Britain to conquer a quarter of the world. We should also notice
that, from this viewpoint, medicine is a technology. It enables doctors to intervene in the
human body through drugs or surgery.

Society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or

sharing the same geographical or social territory typically subject to the same political
authority and dominant cultural expectations.

As stated by CHED Memorandum Order No. 20; Science, Technology and

Society is an interdisciplinary course that engages the students to confront the realities
brought about by science and technology in society, with all its socio-political, cultural,
economic and philosophical underpinnings at play.

Therefore, if we are to understand what is happening in the modern world, we

must understand how science influences the larger society. We must also understand
how the larger society influences science and technology.

In addition, there is another way in which the word society can be applied to
science and technology. Scientists and technologists do not work in isolation. They work
in universities, firms or research groups, and the functioning of these groupings is also a
legitimate focus of study. Questions about ethics and conduct within these groupings,
how they should be financed and how they are best organized, are also matters which
researchers in Science, Technology and Society can ask about.

Science, Technology and Society studies is the study of how society, politics and
culture affect scientific research and technological innovation and how this, in turn,
affect society, politics and culture.

As problems in science and technology continue to rise and become more

observable, the need to pay attention to their interactions with various aspects of human
life, e.g., social, political and economic becomes even more necessary. How the
different aspects of society shape and influence the progression and further
development of science and technology is the area of concern of a relatively new
academic discipline called Science, Technology and Society.

Science, Technology and Society (STS) is a relatively young field that combines
previously independent and older disciplines, such as history of science, philosophy of
science and sociology of science. The rise of STS as an academic field resulted from
the recognition that many schools today do not really prepare students to respond
critically, reflectively and proactively to the challenges posed by science and technology
in the contemporary world.

In general, STS is an essential course in the General Education curriculum for

tertiary education. It was conceptualized to develop deep appreciation and critical
understanding of the role of Science and Technology in the development of people and
the society. It deals with the interactions between Science and Technology in social,
cultural, political and economic contexts. Students are encourage to engaged in
learning scientific issues and technological developments.

5 importance of science and technology in our daily

life
1. It helps us save time & money – Various contributions of science and technology
have helped us save time and money. While science has given us the knowledge why
baked or steam- cooked food is better than the fried or oily food, technology has gifted
us with microwave and steam-cookers that help us bake and steam cook our
food. Various objects and devices like computers, modes of transport, washing
machines or just anything else help us save our time and money.

2. Education – Science & technology have made significant contribution in the

education field as well. Science has given us immense knowledge and therefore, we
have got important matter to study. Technology has made education itself easier. It has
provided us options like smart classes, multimedia devices, e-libraries, e-books, etc.
3. Internet – Information technology, including internet, is an excellent gift of technology.
With the help of internet, we do not only get immense knowledge on science and other
subjects, but we also get to stay connected with our friends and family, continuously.

4. Provides us devices for comfortable sleeping, quick cooking and fast commute – In
short, science and technology have made our life easier. With the help of objects like Air
Con , microwave, and vehicles, science and technology have made our sleeping,
cooking and commute process easier and faster, respectively!

5. It helps us live a better life – While science has made significant contributions in
health by providing treatment for various chronic diseases, technology has benefited us
in receiving those treatments through various ways and devices like X-ray, scan
machines, operation devices, pacemaker and much more! We are also blessed with
numerous exercising equipment, various health apps, online doctor and other things
that help us maintain good health and life.

Open this link to hear more about the topic Science, Technology and Society:

Overview of Science, Technology and Society

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ9UaQmk8SQ
ACTIVITY I:

1. Listed below are the ten emerging ethical and policy issue dilemmas compiled
by the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values of the
University of Notre Dame for 2018. Choose one emerging dilemma in
science and technology and research about the nature of dilemma and
answer the questions below.
a. What is the emerging ethical dilemma all about?
b. What factors or events led to this dilemma?
c. What are the societal implications of this dilemma?
d. Why is it important to question the moral and ethical issues surrounding
innovations in science and technology?
e. In the face of this dilemma, why is it important to study STS?

10 Emerging ethical dilemmas and policy issues in science and technology (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 an accident
6. Social Credit System – a system of scoring citizens through their actions by
placing them under constant surveillance
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

2. In a bond paper, paste any photograph that depicts an issue or problem in science
and technology. Then answer the following questions.

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

b. How does this particular issue or problem impact the well-being of humans
today?
c. Why is it important for people to study and learn about STS as an academic
field, especially in addressing the issue or problem depicted in the
photograph?