What is 4S?

The Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) is a scholarly society founded in 1975 with an international membership of over 1200. Its main purpose is to bring together those interested in understanding science, technology, and medicine, including the way they develop and interact with their social contexts.

All About 4S Membership

For renewals, the member directory, and meeting registration, visit the Member Portal.

4S News

4S President’s message – August 2016

08/27/2016

Infrastructure and Mentoring Award Announcements, 4S Election Results, Fourth Handbook of Science and Technology Studies in press – Roundtable at EASST/4S 2016, Call for interest in program organizing for 4S 2018 in Sydney, Australia

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President’s Message, July 2016

07/14/2016

Mullins and Edge Prize Announcements. David Hakken Fund, Meeting News, 4S Statement of Purpose, President and Council Elections

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President’s Message, June 2016

06/10/2016

Carson and Fleck Prize Announcements

It is my great pleasure to announce the two recipients of this year’s 4S book prizes!

Gabrielle Hecht (University of Michigan, US) is the winner of the 2016 Rachel Carson Prize for her book Being Nuclear: Africans and the Global Uranium Trade (2012 MIT Press). The Carson Prize is awarded for an outstanding book length work of social or political relevance...

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Backchannels

Backchannels provides an outlet for alternative-format scholarly communications, publishing shorter, timelier, media-rich communiques of interest to the global STS community.

Michael Lynch / Part I: Coming of Age

Reflections Report-backs / Michael Lynch in conversation with Lucy Suchman

Michael Lynch was awarded the 2016 Bernal Prize for his important contribution to science and technology studies. Here, in conversation with 4S President Lucy Suchman, he reflects on his, and the field's, coming of age.

Reflexões do workshop brasileiro sobre Mudanças Climáticas e Estudos Sociais da Ciência e Tecnologia

Report-backs / Jean Hochsprung Miguel

A growing number of Brazilian and South American research groups have been exploring the links between science and technology and climate policy. Informal networks have been set up and culminated in the Workshop on Climate Change, Technoscience and Society, which took place in April 11 and 12 at the University of Campinas (State of São Paulo, Brazil). The main objective of this meeting was to bring together STS researchers interested in the production of climate knowledge from South American perspectives. The meeting enabled a diagnosis of emergent initiatives of the Brazilian ans South American scientific communities and governmental institutions for responding the social and scientific challenges posed by climate change.