<i>An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies, Second Edition</i> 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. <ul><li>Distinctive in its attention to both the underlying philosophical and sociological aspects of science and technology<li>Explores core topics such as realism and social construction, discourse and rhetoric, objectivity, and the public understanding of science  <li>Includes numerous empirical studies and illustrative examples to elucidate the topics discussed<li>Now includes new material on  political economies of scientific and technological knowledge, and democratizing technical decisions<li>Other features of the new edition include improved readability, updated references, chapter reorganization, and more material on medicine and technology</ul>