Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

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Quick Reference

Technological Determinism

The theory that technology is the principal driver of social change and that the introduction of new technologies inevitably produces particular social outcomes, independent of human agency or cultural context.

Social Construction of Technology (SCOT)

A framework arguing that technology does not develop along a predetermined path but is shaped by the interests, negotiations, and interpretations of relevant social groups who define what counts as a working or successful technology.

Paradigm Shift

Thomas Kuhn's concept describing a fundamental change in the basic assumptions and practices of a scientific discipline, where an established framework is replaced by a new one that better explains accumulated anomalies.

Actor-Network Theory (ANT)

A theoretical framework developed by Bruno Latour, Michel Callon, and John Law that treats both human and non-human entities (such as instruments, texts, and organisms) as active participants in networks that produce scientific knowledge and technological systems.

Risk Society

Ulrich Beck's concept that modern industrial societies are increasingly organized around the production, distribution, and management of risks generated by technological development, such as nuclear hazards, chemical pollution, and climate change.

Boundary Work

The rhetorical and institutional strategies by which scientists and other knowledge-makers draw distinctions between legitimate science and non-science, thereby defining the authority and credibility of scientific claims.

Sociotechnical System

An analytical concept recognizing that technological artifacts and social structures are deeply intertwined, so that any functioning system involves both technical components and the human organizations, regulations, and practices that sustain them.

Public Engagement with Science

Approaches and practices that involve non-expert citizens in discussions about scientific research and technology policy, moving beyond the one-way 'deficit model' of science communication toward genuine dialogue and co-production of knowledge.

Responsible Innovation

A governance framework that calls for anticipating the social and ethical implications of new technologies during the research and design process, rather than addressing consequences only after products reach the market.

Technological Momentum

Thomas Hughes's concept describing how large technological systems acquire increasing political, economic, and cultural inertia over time, making them progressively harder to redirect or abandon even when superior alternatives exist.

Key Terms at a Glance

Actor-Network Theory:A framework treating human and non-human entities equally as participants in networks that produce knowledge and technological systems.

Boundary Work:Rhetorical and institutional strategies used to demarcate science from non-science and defend scientific authority.

Citizen Science:The practice of involving non-professional scientists in research activities such as data collection, observation, and analysis.

Co-Production:The simultaneous and mutually reinforcing creation of scientific knowledge and social order.

Deficit Model:The assumption that public opposition to science results from insufficient scientific knowledge and can be fixed by providing more information.

Epistemic Justice:Fairness in how people are treated as knowers, addressing wrongs such as being systematically disbelieved or lacking conceptual resources.

Interpretive Flexibility:The idea that a technology or scientific claim can be understood differently by different social groups.

Linear Model of Innovation:The traditional but oversimplified view that innovation proceeds in a straight line from basic science to applied research to commercial products.

Normal Science:In Kuhn's framework, the routine puzzle-solving research conducted within an established paradigm.

Paradigm:A shared set of assumptions, methods, and exemplary achievements that define a scientific community's approach to research.

Paradigm Shift:A fundamental change in the basic assumptions and practices of a scientific discipline, replacing one paradigm with another.

Precautionary Principle:A policy principle that advocates taking preventive action against potential serious harm even when scientific certainty is lacking.

Public Engagement with Science:Inclusive practices that involve citizens in discussions and decisions about science and technology policy.

Relevant Social Groups:In SCOT, the groups of people who share a particular interpretation of a technology and influence its design and adoption.

Responsible Innovation:A governance approach integrating ethical, social, and environmental reflection into the research and innovation process from the start.

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