STS 501 001 (Seminar) Proseminar in Science and Technology Studies – Term 1

Instructor: Margaret Schabas
Section: 001
Term: 1
Meets: Mondays 2-5pm, Buchanan D324

This course serves as an introduction to the graduate program in Science and Technology Studies. The aim is to understand the social and cultural dimensions of science and technology that reflect prevailing norms but also serve as important resources for prevailing social phenomena.  We will aim for breadth more than depth, so as to achieve some overall grasp of the field.  Students will be expected to serve as the lead-off discussant for two classes and to contribute to the seminar discussion on a weekly basis.  The texts have yet to be ordered but some of the readings will also be on-line.  Among the scholars we will study are Snyder, Daston, Galison, Hacking, Basalla, and collections on the social construction of technology and on agnatology.  In preparation for the first class, please re-read Thomas Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions.