Discussion Questions

1. Be prepared to describe why skepticism is a rational, legitimate response by consumers to hearing about a new and controversial technology.
2. Be prepared to describe the limitations of educating the public about new and controversial technologies.
3. Be prepared to describe the fundamental premises of the structure-function, critical, and human agency approaches to understanding relationships among science, technology, and society. You will be asked to describe the role of the sociologist in improving the quality of public decision-making regarding complex and controversial technologies.
4. Be prepared to describe the Classical Greek, Enlightenment, and Critical philosophies of technology. For each one, be prepared to discuss how it influences public opinion about complex and controversial technologies.
5. Be prepared to describe and list the advantages and disadvantages of the positivist, hypothetico-deductive, and phenomenological approaches to conducting science. What is the role of the community of scholars in the enterprise of science?
6. Andrew Webster offers five suggestions for improving relationships between science and society. Be prepared to describe these suggestions and offer your opinion about which one can be the most effective in influencing the "active citizen" to become more involved in technology development and science policy?
7. Be prepared to compare the viewpoints of Beck with those of Bell/Mayerfeld regarding challenges faced by society in deciding upon sound technology policies.
8. Be prepared to describe the "scientist's dilemma" and the "consumer's dilemma." Why does negative information about a technology carry disproportionate weight in influencing consumer opinions about it?

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