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Palgrave Macmillan

Science, Technology and Society

An Introduction

  • Textbook
  • © 2022

Overview

Authors:
  1. Giampietro Gobo

    1. Department of Philosophy, University of Milano, Milano, Italy

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    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  2. Valentina Marcheselli

    1. Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, Trento, Italy

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Accessible, up-to-date introduction to STS that connects theory with practice

  • Introduces students to some of the most contemporary debates in STS illustrated with various relevant case studies

  • Includes recommendations for further reading; books and articles; internet resources and links

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Table of contents (15 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
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  2. Introduction: Why Do We Need to Rethink Science?

    • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
    Pages 1-6

  3. From the Philosophy of Science to the Social Studies of Science

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7
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    2. Gnoseology: The Foundations of Human Knowledge

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 9-34

    3. Epistemology: The Foundations of Scientific Knowledge

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 35-51

    4. Society in Science

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 53-90

    5. The Advent of the Studies of Science and of Technology

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 91-119

  4. Main Themes in STS

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 121-121
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    2. The Boundaries of Science

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 123-145

    3. Science Behind the Scenes

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 147-162

    4. Scientists, Experts and Public Opinion

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 163-178

    5. Science and Technology: Two Sides of the Same Coin

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 179-199

    6. Science, Technology and Gender

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 201-215

  5. Contemporary Fields of Inquiry

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 217-217
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    2. Environment

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 219-231

    3. Digital Societies

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 233-247

    4. Medicine and Biotechnologies

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 249-264

    5. Five Challenges for the Future

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 265-283

    6. Conclusion

      • Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli
      Pages 285-289

  6. Back Matter

    Pages 291-324
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Keywords

About this book

Science, Technology and Society: An Introduction provides students with an accessible overview of the interdisciplinary field of Science and Technology Studies (STS). The discipline breaks down traditional conceptions of knowledge as universal, neutral and ahistorical, and takes a more critical approach to science and technology as social embedded phenomena. This comprehensive textbook makes use of unique examples and case studies to illustrate theoretical debates and concepts. In addition, the reader acquires a unique vision of contemporary issues (such as the power of algorithms, the mystification of fake news, the role of experts within the decision-making process, for example). Each chapter incorporates pedagogically rich features, including interactive discussion points to be used individually or in class as prompts for debate.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Philosophy, University of Milano, Milano, Italy

    Giampietro Gobo

  • Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, Trento, Italy

    Valentina Marcheselli

About the authors

​Giampietro Gobo is Professor of Sociology of Science and Methodology of Social Research at the University of Milan, Italy, where his research focuses on scientific controversies of health issues, particularly on immunization policies. His books include Doing Ethnography (2008), Qualitative Research Practice (co-edited with C. Seale, J. F. Gubrium and D. Silverman, 2004), Constructing Survey Data: An Interactional Approach (with S. Mauceri, 2014), Merged Methods: A Rationale for Full Integration (with N. Fielding, G. La Rocca and W. van der Vaart, 2022).

Valentina Marcheselli is a post-doc research fellow at the Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, Italy. Her research interests include the social construction of science and technology; the social dynamics of interaction and coordination in interdisciplinary contexts; cognition and embodiment in the fields of astrobiology and planetary science.


Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Science, Technology and Society

  • Book Subtitle: An Introduction

  • Authors: Giampietro Gobo, Valentina Marcheselli

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08306-8

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-08305-1Published: 10 January 2023

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-08306-8Published: 09 January 2023

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVII, 324

  • Number of Illustrations: 13 b/w illustrations, 13 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Sociology, general, Human Geography, Anthropology, History of Science, Philosophy of Science, Science and Technology Studies

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