This papers seeks to delineate the dominant markers in social assessments of technology and to identify some of their dynamics. Our analysis proceeds in two steps. The first describes, in broad strokes, the institutionalization of technological evaluation (Technological Assessment or TA). The second describes the practice of making social assessments of technology. We next present the various types of evaluative processes (constitutive analysis, in situ analysis and prospective analysis) as well as the process involved in socially controling these technologies.