Handbook of Science and Technology Studies

Handbook of Science and Technology Studies
Author: Sheila Jasanoff
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 849
Release: 2001-11-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1452213631

"This volume represents the social constructivist turn of the field. It is evident that social constructivism made a major impact on the field during the 1970s and 1980s. The diverse papers included here highlight the role of ethnography in STS. In addition, we are exposed to new perspectives of the multicultural and gendered nature of knowledge production." —Science, Technology, and Society For the most current, comprehensive resource in this rapidly evolving field, look no further than the Revised Edition of the Handbook of Science and Technology Studies. This masterful volume is the first resource in more than 15 years to define, summarize, and synthesize this complex multidisciplinary, international field. Tightly edited with contributions by an internationally recognized team of leading scholars, this volume addresses the crucial contemporary issues—both traditional and nonconventional—social studies, political studies, and humanistic studies in this changing field. Containing theoretical essays, extensive literature reviews, and detailed case studies, this remarkable volume clearly sets the standard for the field. It does nothing less than establish itself as the benchmark, one that will carry the field well into the next century. "The long-awaited Handbook of Science and Technology Studies sponsored by the Society for Social Studies of Science is a truly substantial work, both in size and in the breadth of its many contributions. It is a rich and valuable guide to much that is transpiring in the field of Science and Technology Studies. In the editors′ words, it is ′an unconventional but arresting atlas of the field at a particular moment in its history.′" —Science, Technology & Society "This book is not only an important resource for practitioners, but it also may help to spark the curiosity of those who are outside the field—including scientists and engineers themselves—and so pull the ′half-seen world′ of science and technology studies even more fully into the light of day." —American Scientist "The book as a whole is an impressive testimony to the vitality of a burgeoning field." —New Scientist "It reflects the international and interdisciplinary nature of the society. An excellent resource" —Choice

Strategies of Expertise in Technical Controversies

Strategies of Expertise in Technical Controversies
Author: Frederick Frankena
Publisher: Lehigh University Press
Total Pages: 288
Release: 1992
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780934223140

This work discusses the development of wood for electric power in response to the energy crisis. Frankena studies the role and impact of technical expertise using an in-depth case study and a comparative review of wood-fired power plant controversies in the United States.

Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making

Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2008-11-07
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0309134412

Federal agencies have taken steps to include the public in a wide range of environmental decisions. Although some form of public participation is often required by law, agencies usually have broad discretion about the extent of that involvement. Approaches vary widely, from holding public information-gathering meetings to forming advisory groups to actively including citizens in making and implementing decisions. Proponents of public participation argue that those who must live with the outcome of an environmental decision should have some influence on it. Critics maintain that public participation slows decision making and can lower its quality by including people unfamiliar with the science involved. This book concludes that, when done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies' decisions about the environment. Well-managed public involvement also increases the legitimacy of decisions in the eyes of those affected by them, which makes it more likely that the decisions will be implemented effectively. This book recommends that agencies recognize public participation as valuable to their objectives, not just as a formality required by the law. It details principles and approaches agencies can use to successfully involve the public.

Thinking Constructively About Science, Technology, and Society Education

Thinking Constructively About Science, Technology, and Society Education
Author: Dennis W. Cheek
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 278
Release: 1992-07-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0791498867

This book defines STS—science, technology, and society—education and discusses current thinking about its conceptual evolution. It synthesizes a broad range of research and thought in the history and philosophy of science and technology, STS studies, and education as they are informed by the the dual perspectives of cognitive and social psychology. A model for STS curriculum development in science, social studies, or technology education is presented with well-chosen examples. The book includes an extensive and invaluable bibliography that will enable students, teachers, and researchers to explore the richness of this emerging field.

The Green Encyclopedia

The Green Encyclopedia
Author: Irene M. Franck
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Total Pages: 504
Release: 1992
Genre: Education
ISBN:

Presents information on a variety of environmental concerns and solutions.

Fairness and Competence in Citizen Participation

Fairness and Competence in Citizen Participation
Author: Ortwin Renn
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2013-12-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9401101310

Ortwin Renn Thomas Wehler Peter Wiedemann In late July of 1992 the small and remote mountain resort of Morschach in the Swiss Alps became a lively place of discussion, debate, and discourse. Over a three-day period twenty-two analysts and practitioners of public participation from the United States and Europe came together to address one of the most pressing issues in contemporary environmental politics: How can environmental policies be designed in a way that achieves both effective protection of nature and an adequate representation of public values? In other words, how can we make the environmental decision process competent and fair? All the invited scholars from academia, international research institutes, and governmental agencies agreed on one fundamental principle: For environmental policies to be effective and legitimate, we need to involve the people who are or will be affected by the outcomes of these policies. There is no technocratic solution to this problem. Without public involvement, environmental policies are doomed to fail. The workshop was preceded by a joint effort by the three editors to develop a framework for evaluating different models of public participation in the environmental policy arena. During a preliminary review of the literature we made four major observations. These came to serve as the primary motivation for this book. First, the last decade has witnessed only a fair amount of interest within the sociological or political science communities in issues of public participation.