Lecture

Controversies: Introduction

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In course

HUM-428: Science, technology and environment I

The aim of the course is to acquire the concepts and methods of Science and Technology Studies in order to learn how to decode the interweaving of science and technology in society by applying these elements to the general issues of innovation. ...

Description

This lecture introduces controversies in the sociology of science and society, focusing on the study of social groups, networks, incentive mechanisms, and regulatory mechanisms. It explores the influence of organizations, biases, and practices in dynamic scientific and technological fields.

Instructor

Dominique Vinck

Official source

Related concepts (19)

Organization

An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from the Greek word organon, which means tool or instrument, musical instrument, and organ. There are a variety of legal types of organizations, including corporations, governments, non-governmental organizations, political organizations, international organizations, armed forces, charities, not-for-profit corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, and educational institutions, etc.

Bias

Bias is a disproportionate weight in favor of or against an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned. People may develop biases for or against an individual, a group, or a belief. In science and engineering, a bias is a systematic error. Statistical bias results from an unfair sampling of a population, or from an estimation process that does not give accurate results on average. The word appears to derive from Old Provençal into Old French biais, "sideways, askance, against the grain".

Sociology

Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. In simple words sociology is the scientific study of society. It uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about social order and social change. While some sociologists conduct research that may be applied directly to social policy and welfare, others focus primarily on refining the theoretical understanding of social processes and phenomenological method.

Organizational behavior

Organizational behavior or organisational behaviour (see spelling differences) is the: "study of human behavior in organizational settings, the interface between human behavior and the organization, and the organization itself". Organizational behavioral research can be categorized in at least three ways: individuals in organizations (micro-level) work groups (meso-level) how organizations behave (macro-level) Chester Barnard recognized that individuals behave differently when acting in their organizational role than when acting separately from the organization.

Social group

In the social sciences, a social group is defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties. For example, a society can be viewed as a large social group. The system of behaviors and psychological processes occurring within a social group or between social groups is known as group dynamics.

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