The Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) is a non-profit
scholarly association
A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership may ...
devoted to the
social studies of science and technology (STS). It was founded in 1975 and as of 2008 its international membership exceeds 1,200. In 2016, over 2,000 people attended the society's annual meeting in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, co-hosted by the
European Association for the Study of Science and Technology
Science and technology studies (STS) is an interdisciplinary field that examines the creation, development, and consequences of science and technology in their historical, cultural, and social contexts.
History
Like most interdisciplinary fie ...
(EASST). Its 40th anniversary celebration at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
was attended by notable STS scholars such as
Trevor Pinch
Trevor J. Pinch (1 January 1952 – 16 December 2021) was a British sociologist, part-time musician and chair of the Science and Technology Studies department at Cornell University. In 2018, he won the J.D. Bernal Prize from the Society for ...
,
Sheila Jasanoff
Sheila Sen Jasanoff is an Indian American academic and significant contributor to the field of Science and Technology Studies. In 2021 she was elected to the American Philosophical Society. Her research has been recognized with many awards, includ ...
, and
Bruno Latour
Bruno Latour (; 22 June 1947 – 9 October 2022) was a French philosopher, anthropologist and sociologist.Wheeler, Will. ''Bruno Latour: Documenting Human and Nonhuman Associations'' Critical Theory for Library and Information Science. Libraries ...
.
Its charter was drafted in 1975, and its first President was the American sociologist
Robert K. Merton
Robert King Merton (born Meyer Robert Schkolnick; July 4, 1910 – February 23, 2003) was an American sociologist who is considered a founding father of modern sociology, and a major contributor to the subfield of criminology. He served as th ...
. It is currently based out of the Department of Sociology at
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
. It publishes the quarterly academic journal ''
Science, Technology, & Human Values
''Science, Technology, & Human Values'' (''ST&HV'') is a peer-reviewed academic journal that covers research on the relationship of science and technology with society. The journal's editor-in-chief is Edward J. Hackett ( Arizona State University ...
'' and has a large annual conference attended by hundreds of scholars from a diverse range of fields, including
Science and technology studies
Science and technology studies (STS) is an interdisciplinary field that examines the creation, development, and consequences of science and technology in their historical, cultural, and social contexts.
History
Like most interdisciplinary fie ...
,
sociology of science
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." The sociolog ...
,
science studies
Science studies is an interdisciplinarity, interdisciplinary research area that seeks to situate scientific expertise in broad social, historical, and philosophical contexts. It uses various methods to analyze the production, representation an ...
,
history of science
The history of science covers the development of science from ancient times to the present. It encompasses all three major branches of science: natural, social, and formal.
Science's earliest roots can be traced to Ancient Egypt and Meso ...
,
philosophy of science
Philosophy of science is a branch of philosophy concerned with the foundations, methods, and implications of science. The central questions of this study concern what qualifies as science, the reliability of scientific theories, and the ultim ...
,
anthropology of science,
economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...
,
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
,
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
, as well as science educators and scientists.
It gives out the
Ludwik Fleck Prize
The Ludwik Fleck Prize is an annual award given for a book in the field of science and technology studies. It was created by the 4S Council (Society for the Social Studies of Science) in 1992 and is named after microbiologist Ludwik Fleck
Ludw ...
annually for "best book in the area of science and technology studies", the
Rachel Carson Prize for "a work of social or political relevance", the
John Desmond Bernal Prize
The John Desmond Bernal Prize is an award given annually by the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) to scholars judged to have made a distinguished contribution to the interdisciplinary field of Science and Technology Studies (STS).About the ...
for an individual who made "a distinguished contribution to the field", and the
Nicholas C. Mullins Award for "outstanding scholarship in science and technology studies" by a graduate student.
As of 2020, the President of the society is
Joan Fujimura
Joan Hideko Fujimura is an American sociologist and the Martindale-Bascom Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the president of the Society for the Social Studies of Science. She was a fellow of the Institu ...
, Professor of Sociology,
University of Wisconsin - Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
. 4S is governed by a nine-person council as well as its president.
"Current Officers and Council"
4S Website. Accessed: 26 October 2020.
Footnotes
External links
{{Authority control
History of science organizations
Organizations established in 1975
Learned societies of the United States
Science and technology studies associations
Members of the International Council for Science
Members of the International Science Council