Disciplines

At our department, researchers use a broad range of social science methods. This research contributes significantly to the discipline of sociology and the interdisciplinary field of science, technology and society studies (STS), at both a national and international level:

Sociology

Sociology can be defined as the science of the social embedding and structuring of social, economic and cultural phenomena. The interconnection between “Economy and Society”, as highlighted by Max Weber (1921), appears more relevant than ever in today’s “dynamic” and “global” world

Science, Technology and Society Studies (STS)

 The field of Science and Technology Studies emerged in the 1970s from both academic and activist concerns with the social dimensions and implications of research and innovation. Since its very beginning, the field has followed an interdisciplinary approach, including perspectives from history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, and feminist studies. STS research focuses both on the processes and conditions through which science and technology develop and the effects of science and technology in ordering contemporary societies. Scholars ask how science and technology interact with, shape, and are shaped by diverse social actors, relations, and processes. Themes of interest range from knowledge production in laboratories, to uptake of new technologies, to the roles of science and technology in public decision-making and the potential for democratizing science and technology. STS research not only focuses on the natural sciences, engineering, and medicine as its objects of study, but also increasingly analyzes practices in the social and human sciences as well as so-called ‘soft’ technologies, such as classifications, standards, and guidelines.