An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies, Second Edition reflects the latest advances in the field while continuing to provide students with a road map to the complex interdisciplinary terrain of science and technology studies. * Distinctive in its attention to both the underlying philosophical and sociological aspects of science and technology* Explores core topics such as realism and social construction, discourse and rhetoric, objectivity, and the public understanding of science * Includes numerous empirical studies and illustrative examples to elucidate the topics discussed* Now includes new material on political economies of scientific and technological knowledge, and democratizing technical decisions* Other features of the new edition include improved readability, updated references, chapter reorganization, and more material on medicine and technology