Social Technology Transfer Research Articles

Social technology transfer? Movement of social science knowledge beyond the academy

Technology has become a key vehicle and index of the societal impact of science. Technology’s dominant image, both in science and technology studies (STS) and in science policies, is one of a material device or a complex procedure using machines with origins in natural science disciplines. This article inquires into the vehicles and forms of societal impact in the case of the social sciences. It empirically looks into the generation and circulation of knowledge and expertise on Roma and, drawing upon Strathern, follows three types of vehicles: projects, products, and persons. In the conclusion it argues against the asymmetrical treatment of the social and natural sciences or social and material technologies, and suggests that the troubles the social sciences have with accounting for their societal impact are comparable to effects of critical evaluation of the natural sciences and should be seriously considered as exposing more general challenges for science in a knowledge society.

Cultural context and social technology transfer: the case of Canton, China

This research examines social technology transfer by taking into account the role of cultural context – the interplay between geography, maritime trade, role of the state and foreign intercourse. The southern port city of Canton, China is the focus, and provides a case study to examine why Western merchants and missionaries came to this particular location to transfer various social technologies, i.e. hospitals, insane asylums, schools, colleges and homes for the blind. The relevance of these institutions to the development of China's social welfare is considered in terms of Canton's shifting welfare mix. Implications of this case study are considered relevant to critical understanding of international social welfare from an East–West perspective.

THE "STICK-IN" NATURE OF CITIZEN DELIBERATION FOR TECHNOLOGY-, ENVIRONMENTAL- AND HEALTH-RISK MANAGEMENT IN SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

ドイツでは80年代頃より環境や食品安全の分野などで，市民を巻き込んでの参加型リスクマネジメントが用いられるようになってきた．現在もその利用は増加している．一方，参加型手法にはまだ多くの課題が残されている．一例は，市民会議で導き出された結論が必ずしも政策決定の際に生かされてないことである．市民参加型手法の受容の難しさは，この「ラディカル」な社会技術が，政治体系，社会構造，行動規範などの社会土壌と相互作用し，多くの場合，摩擦を起こすことが大きな要因と見られる．本論文では市民参加型の手法のドイツでの利用の現状を述べ，ドレスデンでのコンセンサス会議を例に，市民参加型の意思決定方法の課題について論を展開する．