What makes something a scientific fact? What is the social impact of new technologies? Who in society benefits and who is harmed by the rapid development of modern science and technology? These are just some of the questions tackled by researchers in the field of Science and Technology Studies, an interdisciplinary field that studies the interconnections between science, technology, and society. In this graduate-level survey of the field, students will become familiar with current topics of scholarly interest in the field such as critical data studies, feminist objectivity, infrastructure studies, cyborg theory, and actor-network theory. We will also draw from other interdisciplinary fields, such as Black studies and disability studies, to broaden our engagement with questions of how assessments of and interventions upon human difference are shaped by technology.
Students will be assessed through a combination of short written assignments, in class engagement, and a term paper. In class participation will be informed by weekly readings of current scholarly literature. The term paper can take the form of a research paper or a deep dive into an area of theoretical interest, decided in consultation with the professor.
Instructor : Danya Glabau