Final Project: Key Concepts in STS
The false duality of “hard” and “soft” science
Perhaps the most pervasive theme throughout science and technology studies (STS) is the false duality between “hard” and “soft” sciences. Many people tend to place STEM fields such as math and computer science in a different box from liberal arts fields, despite the connections between the two. As a scientist, forgetting to study the social constructs around science and technology can be shortsighted, and even dangerous. Understanding these social constructs is especially important in examining bias. In “Perturbing the system: ‘Hard science,’ ‘soft science,’” and social science, the anxiety and madness of method”, Joan Cassell highlights the inability of any research to be value neutral. She uses the study of terminal illness as an example of how it is imperative to study the subjectivity of the researcher on top of the “hard facts” of medical studies. The study of the relationship between the patient and the researcher and the researcher and his/her surroundings falls under the category of “soft science”, and is important to understand in conjunction with the medical study itself. Another class reading that explores this theme is Langdon Winner’s “Do Artifacts Have Politics?” This article examines how tools, especially industrial structures, are inherently political. Many tools enforce hierarchical structures because an authoritarian control is needed to make them work. When we study this social aspect of technology, we are blurring the line between what a “hard” and “soft” science is.
The picture below is an example of a Model T assembly line from 1913. It represents a structure of machinery that is inherently political because it requires a hierarchical social structure and authoritarian control. The study of this machinery can show us that “hard” sciences always exist within a social framework. This was one of the main concepts of this class.
Feminism/minority experience in science/technology
Another large theme of STS is the minority experience in science and technology. In science and technology studies, it is important to note that women, racial minorities, and members of the LGBT community are affected differently by science and technology than others. Many times, they face much discrimination. In “Double jeopardy in astronomy and planetary science: Women of color face greater risks of gendered and racial harassment”, the authors give evidence that in the field of astronomy and planetary science between 2011 and 2015, women of color were heavily disadvantaged. They reported that 40% of women of color felt unsafe in the workplace, and because of this often skipped professional events. These numbers can show us the importance of studying minorities in STEM in order to ensure equality. STS not only discusses the experience of minority scientists, but also the way minorities utilize technology to create a sense of community. Raj Senthorun discusses in “Grindring Bodies: Racial and Affective Economies of Online Queer Desire” how technology is used to the benefit of gay men in order to gain emotional and sexual intimacy in their community. This community is marked by both the breaking down of sexual barriers and the reinforcement of stereotypes of beauty in sexual/romantic relationships. This research shows us how technology can open doors for marginalized communities. When we study the culture of technology, it is important to discuss the minority experience.
The image below is a popular image of “Rosie the Riveter” superimposed against a circuit board. It is used to showcase how women (and other minorities) are getting more involved in technology and feeling empowered because of it. This is an example of one of the minority experiences that is a major theme of STS.
Technology for social change
Finally, an important concept in the anthropology of science and technology is the ability for science and technology to be used for social change. We live in a period of time when technology is constantly being harnessed for good in order to empower different social movements. This concept shows us one of the many impacts of science and technology on our lives. For example, Steven Epstein explores in “The construction of lay expertise: AIDS activism and the forging of credibility in the reform of clinical trials” how AIDS activists inserted themselves into the biomedical research community as part of a wave of medical activism in the 1980s and 1990s. The article details how these “treatment activists” established credibility and were able to make social change through their medical skills. Clearly, science has been used for social good. Technology is also being used to spur on social change, as is exemplified in “Hacker Practice: Moral Genres and the Cultural Articulation of Liberalism”. This article details how hackers have created a movement of cultural liberalism through their open and constructed platform. The social movements bolstered by science and technology are a key component to STS.
The image below shows another facet of social change through technology: activist protests. During the Arab Spring, technology and social media were used to organize events and dramatically change social structures in the Middle East. This image shows a sign which portrays Facebook as a driver of the Egyptian Revolution.
Government impact on science/technology
One topic of science and technology studies that we did not address in depth in ANTH 374 was the impact of governmental policies on technological growth. The relationship between the government and STEM professionals shapes technological progress, as well as how everyday people interact with technology. Today, the largest conversation about the relationship between technology and the government is Net Neutrality. In the article “Net neutrality: A progress report”, authors Kramer, Wiewiorra, and Weinhardt discuss the debate around the regulation of internet service providers. They detail how ISPs send out data “packets” that flow throughout different routes of their network. Proponents of net neutrality want these packets to flow freely in an open Internet, not to be restricted by the choices of the ISP. The image presented below is a popular one which represents this debate. It depicts the importance of government in the free flow of information across this internet. The net neutrality debate is shaping the nature of human interaction with technology, and therefore should be discussed in depth when studying the anthropology of science and technology.
Article Source: http://e-tcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Net-neutrality-A-progress-report.pdf
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