Materials, Technology and Society: contributions from a sociological perspective

In this article we expand the analysis previously proposed [L. d'Andrea, A. Declich, F. Feudo, Hidden societal implications of materials, Updating the awareness on what is at stake, Materiaux & Techniques, 102 (2014) 504] concerning the link between materials and modernity, particularly the role of materials in the process of construction of modernity. On the basis of this relationship, we will deal with two interconnected issues. In the first part, we discuss, albeit in general terms, the role played by sociological research in understanding science and technology. This allows us to highlight the deep transformations that the relationship between science and society has undergone in past decades. In the second part, we introduce both the current state and possible future developments of the sociological study of materials, considering trends emerging in the complex relationship between science, technology and society. This also lead us to reflect on some (more practical than theoretical) implications of a sociological approach to materials (relevant, for example, for Life Cycle Assessment).