• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.1-26
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• 2008

This essay explores the possibility of risk epistemology based on STS perspective. The starting point is the modern society's dilemma that the more technoscience has been developed, the more modern society has become riskier. The conventional risk epistemology, based on modernist dualism, has a tendency to be negligent of the relationship between risk society and technoscience, since it has only paid attention to either side of objectivity of risk or context of risk. In contrast, STS perspective on risk makes a point of focusing on the need of constructing the comprehensive risk epistemology, instead of the traditional approach based on modernist dualism. Now, this perspective goes ahead through "bridging" between objective risk(nature) and contextual risk(society) toward co-production of risk, as a result that we can no more turn our head from the emergence of new hybrids and, in turn, increase of complexity of heterogeneous networks. As such I suggest the concept of technosphere so as to reflect and display these characteristics of this perspective, and assess the potentiality of the concept.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.643-649
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• 2010

In this study, the relationships among high school students' epistemological views on theory and data, science process skills, the perceptions of the preferred laboratory learning environment and attitudes toward laboratory work were investigated. The results indicated that science process skills, all subcategories of the perceptions of the preferred laboratory learning environment (student cohesiveness, open-endedness, integration, rule clarity, and material environment) and attitudes toward laboratory work were significantly correlated with epistemological views on theory and data. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that science process skills, open-endedness and material environment and attitudes toward laboratory work significantly predicted epistemological views on theory and data.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.33-79
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• 2012

This paper first aims to reveal that, in the current trend of 'the participatory turn' in STS, there are divergent positions subtly different from each other, and that the understanding of these divergent positions can be significant to study the differences, similarities and interfaces between the various models of scientific governance discussed in STS and those in risk governance developed by risk studies. Secondly, this paper shows that theoretical differences among STS scholars on scientific governance and public participation goes back to the 1970s and 1980s, during which they first laid down the conceptual basis of STS. All ideas and theories have their own historicity. This article is about the 'historical epistemology' of the participatory turn of STS, and is to seek 'political epistemology' that can become a shared vision of STS.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.2 no.1 s.3
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• pp.157-189
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• 2002

Science and technology policy a lot of implicit usjustified assumptions. These assumption without being reflected may cause various social problems. In this paper, lit is shown that philosophy of science could make contribution to resolving these problems. In epistemological viewpoints, theory of science and technology policy has been analyzed. I argue that social kinds, social entities appeared in social science should be interpreted realisticaly. Realizing this realistic interpretation of social kinds, as one field of social sciences, theory of science and technology policy can deal with the causal relation among social entities and the causal influence of science and technology policy more objectively- scientific knowledge has two components. One belongs to coded knowledge and the other belong to tacit knowledge which cannot be coded. I analyze the content and characters of tacit knowledge appeling to Michael Polany. One of the important function of science and technology policy is to make tacit knowledge more fruitful. I argue that philosophy of science fit well this function. Finally I claim that philosophy of science can help science and technology policy to reduce the ethical problems caused by science and technology.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.181-199
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• 2019

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.218-233
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to explore science teacher's epistemological understanding of science and science teaching and learning, from the perspective of inquiry as the process of scientific knowledge building. Three science teachers participated in this study. The data were collected from individual in-depth interviews and classroom videotaping. The results show a case involving coherent and consistent data. It showed that the teacher's epistemological understanding of science and science teaching and learning consisted of five categories: scientists doing science with scientific thinking; scientific thinking as the process of knowing; science learner in the learning process of scientific thinking; science teacher as a man/woman with good understandings of science; and teaching and learning as the process of knowing science. Based on the results, discussions and implications about science education and science teacher education were presented.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.129-149
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• 1996

From the outset Library and Information Science as a field of discipline began as part of the social sciences (or applied social sciences) in the 1930s. However, due to the practicality and technology emphasized by functionalists, the social science characteristics deteriorated and the science and technological aspect became more accentuated. Ultimately, Library and Information Science was not able to identify its main research subject of libraries and associated apparatuses as a form of social knowledge system, and could not help but neglect to induct and apply theory and philosophy from the social sciences. In the present study, after an examination of social epistemology and sociology of knowledge, which are important epistemological foundations necessary for the strengthening of social scientific aspect of Library and Information Science, a new research parameter called sociology of library was presenteL The sociology of library will be a scheme for an epistemological turnover on the discipline of Library and Information Science.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.100-116
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• 2003

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the objectivity of scientific knowledge, focusing on Michael Polanyi's epistemology. The objectivity of scientific knowledge could be examined in epistemological and ontological view. The former relates to the rationality, but the latter to the reality. Since the middle of 20th century science philosophers have debated about the objectivity of scientific knowledge. Their opinions are divided three parts by the criteria of objectivity in relation to the rationality. Exactly Objectivism approves the rationality of scientific knowledge, and Falsificationism accepts the panial rationality, but Relativism denies any rationality. In this paper, we will study the objectivity of knowledge in relation to the subjectivity, especially throughout the theory of Kant, Kierkegaard and Wang Yang-ming. Experienced good scientist Polanyi(1946; 1958) have ever suggested the new epistemology as the name of 'personal knowledge'. He argues that scientific knowledge is personal by faith, trust, passions, tacit understanding, method rules embodied in practice. Some implications were discussed for science education from the view of Polanyi. The first holds that science class needs human voice throughout the personal commitment. The second holds that intellectual passions should he recovered. The third holds that the teacher should act like real scientist. Finally, the theory of science education should be established for ourselves.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.82-94
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• 2012

In this study, epistemological views of middle school students on scientific inquiry were investigated. The Views of Scientific Inquiry Questionnaire was administered to 141 9th graders. The questionnaire consists of five open-ended items concerning the contexts of scientific investigation, the methods of scientific investigation, the interpretation of data, and the data and evidence. Analyses of the results indicated that their epistemological understanding of scientific inquiry were not adequate on the whole. Although the students suggested a variety of factors influencing scientists' decisions on the questions and the methods of investigation, many of the factors were minor. Only a few students specifically described the activities of scientists and the constituents of "scientific" activity, and students did not demonstrate adequate understanding of experimentation in science and multiple scientific methods. Moreover, the percentage of students who possessed the informed view that data can be variously interpreted was found to be low. The students also did not understand the distinctions between data and evidence. Educational implications are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.465-497
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• 2013

This paper criticizes the ontological and epistemological dichotomy in social sciences including social welfare and probes into Critical Realism as an alternative paradigm. Many theories for social welfare have adhered to dichotomous ontological standpoint, 'agency' vs. 'social structure', and Eco-system approach have occupied dominant position to integrate this dichotomy. These theoretical standpoint have had great influence on social work practice. On the other hand, dichotomous epistemological standpoint which is constituted of different views of phenomena, 'positivism' and 'constructionism', have had great influence on social work research and practice. These dichotomous ontological and epistemological approach have a limit to reveal qualitative nature of the relationship between agency and social structure, to ponder the deeper reality, the mechanism of stratified reality, and the reality being independent of agency. Replacing these approaches, Critical Realism unfold the theoretical potential as an alternative paradigm for social welfare through the discussion on stratified realty(the empirical, the actual, and the real), intransitive/transitive dimension, double hermeneutics in these dimensions, and the conditions for conceptualization, duality of structure and practice, transformation model of agency and structure.