Suchergebnisse

In an introduction to this edited volume (see related abstracts in IRPS No. 87), the field of cultural studies & its relation to science & technology are discussed. It is suggested that the traditional belief in the primacy of cause/effect relationships fails to recognize the complexity & interdependence of variables in the modern world. Culture, science, & technology are not distinct entities, but overlapping fields, which transform & are transformed by each other. Although science & technology have permeated modern society, they do not independently determine the outcomes of social situations & evolution. It is argued that traditional deterministic social sciences must be replaced by a theory of complexity that erodes the boundaries between distinct forms of knowledge & perspectives, & seeks to consider cause in terms of multiple & merging influences. Further, region-oriented communities are becoming less important as technology allows easy communication with distant others, & thereby facilitates the bypass of local ties. It is concluded that the field of cultural studies is best equipped to deal with the rapidly changing circumstances of the modern world due to its appropriation of knowledge from diverse perspectives, & its lack of fundamental & fixed principles. T. Sevier

"The globalization of science and technology can be conceptualized on different levels: as the spread of scientific and research institutions (Drori et al 2003), the diffusion of technologies throughout the world - and perhaps especially the developing world, (Inkster 1991), or the increasingly dense interconnections which characterize contemporary research collaborations. At the root of these three levels, however, is a fundamental question as to whether science and technology transcend - and thus shape - social change, irrespective of local contexts. On the side of those who argue against such a transcendence, instances of 'local knowledge' have been invoked, as well as practices of using technologies differently in different parts of the world. These counterexamples are important, but they also overlook wider macro-level changes. This essay will consider globalization on all three levels. First, it will trace the emergence of international science policy and scientific communication. Second, it will examine the diffusion of new technologies at the hand of the examples of information and communication technologies, specifically television and telephony - including mobile telephony (Schroeder 2007; World Bank 2008). Finally, it will illustrate the increasing connectivity of global research in the 21st century with reference to knowledge production that is supported by computer networks, not just for communication, but also in the new electronic infrastructures for research dissemination and collaborative data resources and tools. The essay will conclude with some reflections about how scientific knowledge and technology can meet global challenges, especially in relation to the increasing resource scarcity and instability of the environment, in the 21st century." (author's abstract)