Science & Technology Studies (STS) is an interdisciplinary program concerned with science and technology and their relationship to society. The community of scholars in the Williams STS program apply methods from diverse disciplines. They seek to illuminate the historical, social, cultural, ethical, and political dimensions of science and technology. By bridging humanities, social sciences, science, and technology, our program seeks to build relationships across campus.
The STS program at Williams takes a broad umbrella approach to the discipline. Topics include: sociology of knowledge production; philosophy of science; history of science and technology; the economics of research and development; science and public policy; technology and the environment; scientometrics; interactions between humans and technology; science fiction and other artistic depictions of science and technology; boundaries between pseudo-science, religion, and science; and the broader ethical issues evoked by science and technology.