Burgeoning academic field 'Science and Technology Studies' is a Trojan horse of liberal ideology
A field of study is advancing liberal ideas under the guise of science and technology research.
The academic field seeks to inject liberalism into the hard sciences, including a proposal to embed STS scholars in labs.
A new and growing academic field uses the legitimate names of science and technology to push liberal ideas in prestigious and influential circles.
Harvard University describes “Science and Technology Studies” (STS) as a burgeoning field with roots in the interwar period and the Cold War. STS ostensibly examines hard sciences through a sociological lens.
Other elite universities, including Cornell and UC Berkeley, have their own established STS programs.
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The reach of this field is clear, as last year even the prestigious scientific journal Cell published STS “research” in a special edition alongside similar submissions. The March 2024 article, “The history of sex research: Is ‘sex’ a useful category?,” was written by Beans Velocci and dismisses the traditional notions of gender and sex.
Velocci, a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, describes her work as being partly centered on “feminist STS.” Her article in Cell dismisses the notion of traditional sex and offers STS scholars as a solution to this supposedly antiquated dichotomy.
”Collaboration between life scientists and STS scholars can be incredibly fruitful and take many forms,” Velocci wrote in the 2024 article. “One approach involves embedding an STS scholar in a lab setting. Another is mutual critique of existing scientific work and generating ideas for improvements.”
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When the STS field escapes academia, it can have impacts on the United States and the larger world.
The U.S. National Science Foundation funds STS research, awarding millions of dollars to projects that promote progressive social theories.
Despite criticism, the field continues to receive academic support and taxpayer-funded grants, sustaining its challenge to traditional scientific disciplines.