SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD
THE CULTURAL POLITICS OF FACTS & ARTIFACTS
BY DAVID J. HESS
David J. Hess
Anthropologist
 Faculty development grant from
Rensselear Polytechnic Institute
 “STS” – interdisciplinary study of
science, technology and society

Combinations, Contrasts, and
Complexities




Generalist
Wide in scope
Cross-cutting
Dynamic and flexible
Culture
Power
Politics
Society
What is Knowledge?

“…finding patterns
in observations and
then organizing the
observations into
explanations..”
negotiated
Knowledge is a
socially
shaped
process
Ways of knowing ….

Philosophical and Historical Debate
Is there an
inherently
structured
world?
or
Are there similarities
in the way the
human mind organizes
the world?
Things to think about ……

Do different cultures have different sciences and technologies or is
“science and technology” socially neutral and above and beyond
culture?

In what ways is scientific knowledge “socially constructed” and in
what ways is it not? How can this concept be made both useful and
meaningful?

Can you think of ways that the absence of historically excluded
groups (e.g., women, underrepresented ethnic groups, the poor) shape
the content of scientific knowledge?

Is there discrimination in science? If so, what should be done about
it?

In what ways can society influence the course of scientific research?
Definitions and Concepts
 Science:
knowledge about the natural
world

Social Constructivism:
made up of decisions,
observations, generalizations,
theories and methodology
 Technology:
 Cultural Relativism:
knowledge about how to create
interpreting the meaning of
science & technology relative to
effects via artifacts
the understanding of local
communities

Techno “totemism”:
identification of social groups
with natural phenomena or
cultural objects
What does X mean to Y?
What is the social significance of
Science and/or Technology to:
Class
Gender
Race
Nationality
Context = possibilities for alternate
theories
E
I
N
S
T
E
I
N
“International” Science?
Pasteur
Copernicus
DARWIN
N
e
w
t
o
n
Temporal Cultures

Epistemes – assumptions about knowledge,
method and theory that in any given time
period are shared across disciplines
(Foucault, 1986)

Paradigms – scientific frameworks that can
undergo dramatic shifts (Kuhn, 1970)
Scientific Revolution vs
Scientific Evolution
1600-1800’s
 “Modern science” – is it historically
ethnocentric?

 Philosophy
 Religion
 Capitalism
 Colonialism
 Counter-culturalism
How does science gain authority to
direct truth practices?





Actor-network theory
Institutional influence
Public controversy
Religion
User Acceptance
The Scientific and Technical
Communities

Intercultural communication:
Concepts of “self”
Body language
Conversation style
Hierarchy/Equality relationships
“Non-Western” Knowledge Systems


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“New World” vs “Old World” societies
Indigenous people
Boomerang effect/Pluralism and convergence
 Accupuncture
 Ayurvedic
 Reiki
 Shamanism
 Tai-chi
 Yoga
The good, the bad and the ugly …

Extraction – Settlement-Domination

Knowledge and Power

Grassroots resistance and development
Earned Doctorates for U.S.
Citizens in the Physical Sciences
20
18
16
14
Women
Asian Americans
Hispanic
African Americans
Native Americans
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1992
Multicultural Education
Recruitment and
Retention of
the underrepresented
Curriculum reform
Diversification of
knowledge,
design and
practice
New Frontiers
• How are new technologies affecting
fundamental cultural categories such as
life, death, and kinship? (i.e. stem cell
research, human genome project)
• Does the Internet promise to increase
or decrease social inequalities, and how
might changes in the technology reduce
or exacerbate this effect?