TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT IN PUBLIC POLICY: A NEW INSTRUMENT FOR SOCIAL MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

There is a problem of conflicts in goals, policies, and institutional aspirations in a pluralistic society, and inequitable representation in the decision process, that leads to an imbalance in costs and benefits or inequities in their social distribution. Correctives may be technically strenuous, economically expensive, or politically improbable. Thus to manage technology to gain consensual outcomes, society needs to focus its preferences, develop forecasts as to expected and unexpected social and environmental consequences of technological initiatives, and inject precrisis planning into the public decision- making process. Achieving these goals is the task conferred on technology assessment. General concepts governing the conduct of assessments are applied to the example of the SST issue.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

  3 Park Avenue, 17th Floor
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5997
• Authors:
  • Wenk Jr, E
• Conference:
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engrs Proc
• Publication Date: 1975-3

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 371-379
• Serial:
  • Volume: 63
  • Issue Number: 3

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Decision making; Environmental impacts; Forecasting; Management; Public policy; Social values; Strategic planning; Technology
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Environment; Highways; Policy; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00084325
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Proceeding
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 1 1975 12:00AM