Announcements

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Science, Technology and Society

Course Description

Science and technology are essential components of modern society. Indeed, one could argue that the development of science and proliferation of technology are the defining characteristics of modern society. Certainly, very nearly the only value that all countries currently share is an interest in increasing scientific knowledge and improving technological development. In order to effectively communicate and work in today’s globalized world, it is essential for students to understand how science and technology have shaped modern society, and how society, in turn, has shaped science and technology.

Science and technology are essential components of modern society. In this course, we will explore various aspects of the relationship between science, technology and society. Science, Technology and Society Studies (STSS) addresses the question of the role of techno-science in our modern societies from an interdisciplinary matrix of historical, philosophical, sociological, and cultural viewpoints.

We will begin with some lectures on theoretical ideas and approaches that have been used to study scientific practice and the development of technology. We will then study the development of large independent technological systems that have been characteristic of 20th century technology. This will be followed by lectures on information technology and biotechnology, two very current fields that are having a pervasive influence on the way we live

In order to develop a picture of current developments in science and technology, each class I will also spend 10-20 minutes talking about the latest science and technology news from around the world.

Required Texts

Many of the class readings come from An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies by Sergio Sismondo, (New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.) This book is available in the SILS reading library, 11-B1, and all of the assigned readings can be downloaded from the class website.

Web Sources for Science and Technology News

The British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Science and Environment page, and Technology page.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Technology Review.

Science News: Magazine of the Society for Science and the Public.

Science Daily: Your Source for the latest Research News.

For a look at recent work in many areas see the TED talks: Ideas worth spreading. (A collection of talks given each early at the TED conference, where leaders in science, industry and the arts meet every year to discuss their ideas)

Grading

Attendence	30%
Midterm exam (take-home)	35%
Final exam (take-home)	35%

General Format

The class meets once a week for a lecture. Students are expected to attend the lectures, and write a midterm and final exam.

Exams

The exams will be in-class exams, to be taken on the class Moodle site. You will have 1.5 hours to work on the exams. There will be three sections: multiple choice (or connections), short answers (1-2 sentences), full descriptions (2-3 paragraphs).

Discussion Topics, Readings and Assignments

Week 1: Apr 6

General introduction to Science, Technology and Society Studies (STSS)

Reading: Sergio Sismondo, Thomas Kuhn’s revolution in science studies (An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies, chap. 2).

Introduction to science and technology studies

Week 2: Apr 13

The social role of scientists

Reading: Steven Shapin’s article (Seed Magazine), The state of the scientist.

The social role of technoscientists

Week 3: Apr 20

What is technology?

Reading: Sergio Sismondo, Two questions concerning technology (An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies, chap. 9).

Introduction to thinking about technology

Week 4: Apr 27

The social construction of scientific knowledge and actor-network theory

Reading: Sergio Sismondo, The strong program of sociology of knowledge and Actor-network theory (An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies, chaps. 5 and 6).

Social constructivist theories of technoscience

Holiday: May 4

No Class

No reading.

Week 5: May 11

Large technological systems
Selections from two movies, Manufactured Landscapes and Unser Täglich Brot (Our Daily Bread, 『いのちの食べ方』).

Reading: Thomas Hughes, Technology as systems, controls, and information (Human-Built World, chap. 4).

Large technological systems

Week 6: May 18

The use and abuse of petroleum, I
First half of the documentary Crude

Reading: New York Times article on the global supply chain (following the Tohoku earthquake).

Energy and civilization

Week 7: May 25

The use and abuse of petroleum, II
Second half of the documentary Crude

No reading.

Week 8: Jun 1 (Midterm exam)

Midterm exam: In-class exam (Moodle).

No reading.

Week 9: Jun 8

A brief history of computing in the 20th century

Reading: William Aspry, Computer science and the computer revolution (from the Cambridge History of Science, vol. 5).

Early history of computers

Week 10: Jun 15

Information technology

Reading: Paul Ceruzzi, Inventing personal computing.

Personal computing

Week 11: Jun 22

A brief history of biology in the 20th century

Reading: Richard Burian and Doris Zallen, Genes (from the Cambridge History of Science, vol. 6).

A brief history of biology in the 20th century

Week 12: Jun 29

Biotechnology

Reading: Robert Bud, History of biotechnology (from the Cambridge History of Science, vol. 6).

A history of biotechnology

Week 13: Jul 6

Studying human sexuality: Biological or social?

Reading: Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá, The ape in the mirror and On Mona Lisa’s mind (from Sex at Dawn).

Studying human sexuality

Week 14: Jul 13

Democracy and technoscience in the modern world

No reading Reading: Sergio Sismondo, The public understanding of science, and Expertise and public participation (An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies, 15 and 16).

Democracy and technical expertise

Week 15: Jul 20 (Final exam)

Final exam: In-class exam (Moodle).

No reading.