Sociology of Knowledge: Understanding the Interconnections of Science, Technology and Power -Ganesh Shrirang Nale Department of Sociology, Central University of Haryana, India Discipline: Sociology, Sociology of Knowledge, Science–Technology–Society (STS), Epistemology.

The article “Sociology of knowledge: Understanding the interconnections of science, technology and power” is co-authored by Ganesh Shrirang Nale, Department of Sociology, Central University of Haryana, India, and Bharat Bhauso Raut, Research Scholar at Annasahab Magar College, Hadapsar, Pune, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Maharashtra. Both authors work within the broad disciplines of Sociology, Sociology of Knowledge, Epistemology, and Science–Technology–Society (STS), bringing a rich interdisciplinary perspective to the study of how knowledge is shaped by social forces and how power structures influence scientific and technological development. 

This article provides an in-depth examination of how ideas, scientific practices, and technological systems emerge from specific cultural, political and historical contexts. Beginning with Karl Mannheim’s foundational insights, the authors explain how knowledge is socially conditioned, embedded in group perspectives, ideological positions, and structural experiences. They extend this analysis to explore Indian epistemological traditions, including classical pramanas such as perception, inference, verbal testimony, and comparison. These traditions reveal that knowledge in India has always been a blend of rationality, ethics, spirituality, and community-based insight.

A significant part of the article highlights Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s distinction between the inner and outer dimensions of knowledge, emphasizing his insistence on democratizing education, cultivating scientific temper, and ensuring equal access to intellectual resources. Ambedkar’s framework shows how structural inequalities distort both the production and distribution of knowledge, making his contribution essential to contemporary discussions on science, justice, and social responsibility.

The authors further integrate perspectives from Science and Technology Studies (STS) to analyse how modern science is influenced by capitalism, institutional power, global governance structures, and technological dominance. From the role of colonialism in shaping knowledge hierarchies to contemporary debates on environmental politics, digital technologies, and biotechnology, the article demonstrates that knowledge is inseparable from power. It critiques Orientalism, myths of objectivity, and Western-centric research paradigms while advocating for decolonial, inclusive, and culturally grounded approaches.