Science Studies Meets Colonialism

Science and technology studies have critiqued the idea of a universal and singular Science that exists independently of human society, interpretation, and action. This book by Amit Prasad demonstrates that problematic idealized imaginaries of science, scientists, and the scientific realm can be traced back to the birth of modern science during European colonialism, undergirding hierarchies of technological innovation and scientific value and leaving society vulnerable to contemporary threats of misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 14 October 2022
Publisher: Polity Press

The field of science and technology studies has long challenged the notion that there exists a universal and singular Science that exists independently of human society, interpretation, and action. However, the profound ways in which colonial legacies impact and shape this project have often been overlooked or marginalized within the discipline. In this groundbreaking book, Amit Prasad aims to rectify this erasure by tracing the origins of problematic idealized imaginaries of science, scientists, and the scientific realm back to the birth of modern science during European colonialism. These visions of science and technology have shaped the imagination of the West and its others, establishing hierarchies of technological innovation and scientific value. However, they have also inadvertently left society vulnerable to contemporary threats of misinformation and conspiracy theories, as evidenced by the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Rather than being an indictment of science and technology studies, this rigorous book seeks to raise these concerns to encourage STS to engage more critically with issues of colonialism. By doing so, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the rapidly evolving global topography of science and technology today and into the future.

Weight: 314g
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509544424