ABSTRACT

The social origins and growth of science- and engineering-related ethics and values (SEEV) studies are closely linked to the larger "science, technology, and society" (STS) movement in the United States. Beginning in the mid-1960s, US colleges and universities began to respond to their campuses' growing social awareness by establishing STS programs. Scholars generally define "professions" in terms that include more than external forms or institutions. Few aspects of human life today are untouched by scientific and technological development. The primary ingredient that draws the studies together is the desire to do research and provide instruction on the mutual influences between science, engineering, and the moral life of individuals and communities. If interests within SEEV research spread broadly across many intellectual areas, aspects of society, and disciplines, it is no surprise that its research methodologies are also diverse. For many researchers, this diversity is problematic.