"The sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK) is the study of science as a social activity, especially dealing with the social conditions and effects of science, and with the social structures and processes of scientific activity."
It analyzes how science and technology shape and are shaped by social norms, values, and institutions.
Theories of Technology: The study of different theoretical perspectives on technology including determinism, social constructivism, and technological diffusion.
Technological Change: The examination of the process of technological change and the impact it has on society, culture, and economy.
Innovation Systems: The study of the role of institutional frameworks (public policies, organizations, and innovation networks) in fostering innovation and technological change.
Globalization and Technology: The analysis of how globalization has influenced the development and diffusion of technology worldwide, and the societal implications of a globalized technological landscape.
Digital Divide: The exploration of the disparities that exist in access to and use of digital and information technologies between different groups in society, and the implications for social and economic development.
Ethics and Technology: The examination of ethical issues arising from the development and use of modern technologies, including privacy, security, and responsibility of technological actors.
Social Media and Technology: The analysis of the impact of social media on society and culture, including social interaction, communication, and engagement in political and civic activities.
Science and Technology Policy: The study of the role of government policies in promoting and regulating scientific research and technological development, and the interaction between science and policy making.
Environmental Technology: The assessment of how technology can be used to mitigate and adapt to environmental challenges, including climate change, energy transition, and sustainable development.
Gender and Technology: The exploration of how gender affects the access, use, and development of technology, and the implications for gender equality and women's empowerment.
"The sociology of scientific ignorance (SSI) is complementary to the sociology of scientific knowledge."
"The sociology of knowledge studies the impact of human knowledge and the prevailing ideas on societies and relations between knowledge and the social context within which it arises."
"Sociologists of scientific knowledge study the development of a scientific field and attempt to identify points of contingency or interpretative flexibility where ambiguities are present."
"Such variations may be linked to a variety of political, historical, cultural or economic factors."
"The objective of the researcher is to explain why one interpretation rather than another succeeds due to external social and historical circumstances."
"The field emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s."
"...at first was an almost exclusively British practice. Other early centers for the development of the field were in France, Germany, and the United States (notably at Cornell University)."
"Major theorists include Barry Barnes, David Bloor, Sal Restivo, Randall Collins, Gaston Bachelard, Harry Collins, Karin Knorr Cetina, Paul Feyerabend, Steve Fuller, Martin Kusch, Bruno Latour, Mike Mulkay, Derek J. de Solla Price, Lucy Suchman and Anselm Strauss."
"The field does not set out to promote relativism or to attack the scientific project."
"The objective of the researcher is to explain why one interpretation rather than another succeeds due to external social and historical circumstances."
"The sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK) is the study of science as a social activity."
"The sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK) is...dealing with the social conditions and effects of science."
"...the social structures and processes of scientific activity."
"Sociologists of scientific knowledge study the development of a scientific field..."
"Such variations may be linked to a variety of political...factors."
"Other early centers for the development of the field were in France, Germany, and the United States (notably at Cornell University)."
"...attempt to identify points of contingency or interpretative flexibility where ambiguities are present."
"The sociology of knowledge studies the impact of human knowledge and the prevailing ideas on societies..."
"The sociology of scientific ignorance (SSI) is complementary to the sociology of scientific knowledge."