SOSC 1130: Science,

Technology and Business

Tuesdays and Thursdays
4:30 pm 5:50 pm
Lecture Theater A
Dr. Naubahar Sharif
SOSC 1130 Fall 2016 Notes 01

Introductory Class

Details about the class

Syllabus

Website: http://canvas.ust.hk

Additional details and regulations

Details about me

What about you?

SOSC 1130 Fall 2016 Notes 01

About Me

My name
Education: Ph.D. Cornell 2005 (Science
and Technology Studies)
Research: How science and technology
(S&T) influences society and vice versa
(mutual relationship)

Societal and cultural embeddedness of

science and technology

Want to know more?

http://www.nsharif.com
SOSC 1130 Fall 2016 Notes 01

Lecture Notes

The lecture notes on slides presented

at the lectures will also be available
from the SOSC113 Course Web
(Canvas)
I will try to post an updated version
before the lecture, so that you can
print the notes before class
You should supplement by taking notes
from my explanations, discussions, etc.
SOSC 1130 Fall 2016 Notes 01

Assessment and Grades

There will be two exams in the

course:

1 midterm (around Week 7 during

class time)
1 final exam (end of semester)
Both exams will consist of multiple
choice questions, partly based on
case studies
PRS Exercises during class

The midterm counts for 40%

and the final exam 45% of the
total course grade, respectively
PRS Exercises count for 15% of
course grade
SOSC 1130 Fall 2016 Notes 01

PRS Exercises

How many of you have never used

a PRS device?
I will not entertain ANY excuses for
non-performance of PRS exercises

SOSC 1130 Fall 2016 Notes 01

Some Basic Rules

Get to class ON TIME !

All mobile phones or
pagers turned to SILENT
Please do not disturb the
class with irrelevant
conversationif you want
to discuss an issue, you
should address me!
Engage in class
discussions

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I am Serious!!!

I do not take attendance (you are all

adults)
I would like you to pay attention and
learn something

Not only learn about what you can get from

textbooks
But also learn something that will actually
make a positive difference in your lives

University life is like finding a needle in a

haystack

I will try to offer more such needles

SOSC 1130 Fall 2016 Notes 01

I am very serious!!!

Talking is strictly prohibited

I will endeavor to start (and finish on
time)
I respect the value of your time, so I
hope you too will respect me and my
time
It is your job to have fully functioning
PRS devices and ensure your answers
are registered by the system
SOSC 1130 Fall 2016 Notes 01

Seeking Help

I am here to help
Contact me should you require
assistance

Email is best: sosn@ust.hk

The class will be run with the

assistance of my TAs

Mostly invisible, but critical to any

successful class
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What About You?

Your enrollment status?

Why are you taking this class?
How many of you have previously
taken any class with me?
How many of you have previously
taken ANY SOSC class?

How many currently taking SOSC1110?

How many of you don't

speak/understand Cantonese?
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More About You?

Which year are you in?

0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or above

What's your major/home school?

How many live on campus/off
campus?
Do you intend to come to class?
Do you have any siblings in university
(now or before)?
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Class Composition

Exchange Students?
Mainland Students?
HK students from international
schools
HK students from EMI/CMI schools

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Homework

Read and digest the syllabus!

Over the course of a semester, one

third (33%) of questions I receive are
answered on the syllabus

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What is Science and

Technology Studies
(S&TS)

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What is Science and

Technology Studies
(S&TS)
Newly emerging field

Challenges orthodoxy ( ) of science,

technology and now business

Why do we believe what scientists say?

Questions rationales, assumptions, of these

activities (something that is done by people)
Closely studies how the activities are actually
performed through accumulating knowledge
by actors
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What is Science and

Technology Studies
(S&TS)
Two important philosophical

approaches within the study of

SCIENCE:
1. Logical positivism and
2. Falsificationism

How STB produced?

What shape does STB take, and why
does it take that shape?
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The Prehistory of S&TS, or

How S&TS Originated (p.14)

Idea of Logical Positivism (

) (Vienna Circle):

Scientific progress is increasing

number and range of potential
observations that its theories indicate

What has been done

E.g. perform the same experiment again
and again in different environment to
prove the theory is always true
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The Prehistory of S&TS

(contd)

A scientific theory is in some sense a

mere summary of possible
observations, in a logically structured
language
Theories can be no more or no less
than the logical representation of
data

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Falsificationism

Idea of Falsificationism ( ) (Karl

Popper)

A form of positivism
The idea that using purely logical means we can
make predictions of observations from scientific
theories

Scientific theories lead to predictions

Make prediction about the future

Best theories are the ones that make all the right
predictions
Scientists are held to a standard

According to this standard, they have to discard

theories in the face of opposing data and retain those
theories which provide correct results
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Realism

Idea of Realism ( )

Idea that science progresses towards

the truth, and accumulates truth as it
goes forward

Science tells us about the natural world

Most scientific theories are

approximately true
Good methods form the basis of
scientific progress
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Positivism vs. Falsification

vs. Realism
Idea:

Positivism Falsificatio Realism

n

Supporte Summaries
d
of
by:
observations

Predictions of Truth
observations

Feature:

Make all the

right
predictions
and based on
empirical
data

The rational
construction
of theories
on top of
empirical
data

SOSC 1130 Fall 2016 Notes 01

Believe
that
science
will
progress
towards
truth

22

A Functionalist View

Mertons functionalist view of science

Merton argues that science served a social

function: providing certified knowledge
Science serves a social function, providing
certified knowledge that we can all believe
and trust
In order to produce this knowledge,
scientists work according to certain norms
(values)
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These norms govern scientists behavior

and attitudes
Norms: Communalism, Universalism,
Disinterestedness ( ), Organized
Skepticism ( ) (CUDOS)
Scientists adhering to these norms
perform greater social function (of
providing certified knowledge) than
scientists that do not adhere to them

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Norms (contd)

Communalism

Idea of communal ownership

i.e. Scientific knowledge is owned by

everyone

Universalism

Anyone can make a scientific claim and

that claim is not evaluated based on
particularistic criteria (such as sex,
race, gender, etc.)
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Norms (contd)

Disinterestedness ( )

Scientists are not interested in

science because of financial gain
(because they want to become rich)

Organized Skepticism ( )
(CUDOS)

Scientists remain skeptical (

) until the theory is well established
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Whats the Main Point? or

Summary

Science does not determine the

shape of technology

Technology is not just applied science

Not all technology depends on science

alone

Sci., Tech., and Business are

thoroughly social activities

Each of these activities is conducted

by HUMANS
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Actors who perform the activities are

members of communities, trained into
the communities and working within
them
Communities set standards for inquiry
Actors are not mere logical operators:
they have biases, beliefs, prejudices,
idiosyncrasies, interests, preferences,
etc.
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Course Outline I

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Course Outline II

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