In social epidemiology, to speak of theory is simultaneously to speak of society and biology. It is, I will argue, to speak of embodiment. At issue is how we literally incorporate, biologically, the world around us, a world in which we simultaneously are but one biological species among many—and one whose labour and ideas literally have transformed the face of this earth. To conceptualize and elucidate the myriad social and biological processes resulting in embodiment and its manifestation in populations' epidemiological profiles, we need theory. This is because theory helps us structure our ideas, so as to explain causal connections between specified phenomena within and across specified domains by using interrelated sets of ideas whose plausibility can be tested by human action and thought.1–3 Grappling with notions of causation, in turn, raises not only complex philosophical issues but also, in the case of social epidemiology, issues of accountability and agency: simply invoking abstract notions of ‘society’ and disembodied ‘genes’ will not suffice. Instead, the central question becomes: who and what is responsible for population patterns of health, disease, and well-being, as manifested in present, past and changing social inequalities in health?

Theories for social epidemiology in the 21st century: an ecosocial perspective

(1996). Science Education: Border Crossing into the Subculture of Science. Studies in Science Education: Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 1-52.

Science Education: Border Crossing into the Subculture of Science

In this review of the published literature in English on the concept of scientific literacy, the net is cast wider than just the professional science education com- munity, and the diverse works on scientific literacy are brought together in an interpretative synthesis of this literature. Scientific literacy is first placed in an historical context, and a number of different factors that influence interpretations of this concept are discussed thereafter. These factors include the number of different interest groups that are concerned with scientific literacy, different conceptual definitions of the term, the relative or absolute nature of scientific literacy as a concept, different purposes for advocating scientific lit- eracy, and different ways of measuring it. The overview yields a fuller understanding of the various factors that contribute to the concept of scientific literacy, and makes clear the relationships between these factors. 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci. Ed 84:71- 94, 2000.

Scientific literacy: A conceptual overview

Handbook of Quantitative Science and Technology Research

Preface vii 1 The Prehistory of Science and Technology Studies 1 2 The Kuhnian Revolution 12 3 Questioning Functionalism in the Sociology of Science 23 4 Stratification and Discrimination 36 5 The Strong Programme and the Sociology of Knowledge 47 6 The Social Construction of Scientific and Technical Realities 57 7 Feminist Epistemologies of Science 72 8 Actor-Network Theory 81 9 Two Questions Concerning Technology 93 10 Studying Laboratories 106 11 Controversies 120 12 Standardization and Objectivity 136 13 Rhetoric and Discourse 148 14 The Unnaturalness of Science and Technology 157 15 The Public Understanding of Science 168 16 Expertise and Public Participation 180 17 Political Economies of Knowledge 189 References 205 Index 236

http://pos89.persiangig.com/document/Sociology%20of%20Science/An%20Introduction%20to%20Science%20and%20Technology%20Studies%20(Sergio%20Sismondo).pdf

An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies

A lesson to be learned from research in information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) is that the best information management system will fail if it is not embraced and competently employed by end users in all stages of workflow, especially those end users with little prior familiarity with computer and database use. Because patient record management systems rely heavily on input from lay practitioners and other less trained staff, they are particularly vulnerable to failure related to end user non-acceptance. This paper presents a case study of a client database system introduced to novice users in a department of social work of a developing country. Factors impacting user acceptance were perceived system utility, congruence with present work practices and cultural appropriateness. We describe an educational intervention that was observed to improve end users' attitudes toward introduction of the system as well as their ability to integrate it into their work processes. While still in its evaluation phase, we believe this description of the requirements elicitation process and educational intervention represents an important step in the integration and use of patient record management systems in developing communities.

A community-driven communicative approach to adoption of a client record management system

Recent educational research in engineering has examined the challenges Canadian universities are facing when implementing graduate attributes, especially those attributes that involve significant social components (such as ethics and equity, impact of technology on society, and communication skills). In response to these challenges, this paper asks: how might experiential education be used as an approach to teach non-technical graduate attributes? Having asked this question at our own institution, we are in the process of implementing experienced-based approaches to engineering education. We describe our efforts in curricular and non-curricular spaces which include adding project-based components to our existing courses on technology and society and communication, designing a new experiential course on creativity and innovation, serving as clients for capstone courses, facilitating reflection for our co-op program, developing a workshop on community engagement, and organizing design competitions in our innovation centre. We analyze the challenges and the benefits of these approaches. Our argument is that experience alone may not lead to planned learning outcomes, so finding creative ways to promote reflection on experience becomes critical. In our programs, this has meant: playing the role of both client and facilitator in projects; partnering with faculty members in other disciplines; and having students directly interact with users from very different backgrounds. Through these approaches, we are finding ways to help students visualize the lived context of technology use in communities, and ways to help them understand the non-technical components of design and co-op work that are essential if we want to create just and sustainable outcomes though technology. The implication of this preliminary reflexive account is that experiential education holds much promise for improving instruction related to non-technical graduate attributes.

https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/PCEEA/article/download/5773/pdf

Implementing experiential education on engineering and society

How can engineering students be prepared for their career in the 21st century? For over 10 years, Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB) has advanced the concept of the ‘global engineer’ as one approach to this challenge. The global engineer is a technically competent engineer with excellent communication and leadership skills, as well as a developed awareness of globalization and sustainability. The current engineering curriculum offers many tools and resources to prepare students for the unique challenges and opportunities that the 21st century will present. However, there is a great opportunity to leverage recent advances in online learning and network/community based learning to enable students to further connect to these 21st century concepts. This paper outlines the architecture of an online platform as well as its approach to pedagogy and developing a Canadian learning network for global engineering. 1 GLOBAL ENGINEERING: LESSONS FROM THE CLASSROOM

/pdf/leveraging-networks-online-network-based-learning-for-21st-7xdlmr6eya.pdf

Leveraging networks : online network based learning for 21st century engineering education and practice

Increasingly over the past decade, online learning has received growing attention in the academy. This paper describes the experiences of two instructors at the same institution with the teaching of writing online: one using hybrid (blended) instruction to “flip” the classroom to teach a service course on technical writing to Engineering students with low TOEFL scores; the other is an asynchronously online undergraduate elective course intended for majors in Education and other Social Sciences who might be considering careers in training, employee communication, technical communication, and related fields.

Deborah Dysart-Gale

Papers

A community-driven communicative approach to adoption of a client record management system

Implementing experiential education on engineering and society

Leveraging networks : online network based learning for 21st century engineering education and practice

Teaching writing online: Two case studies