Science, Technology and Society

As novel technologies become increasingly enmeshed in our daily lives—and even intertwined with human consciousness—it is all the more necessary that we reflect critically on the social relations that produce, are embodied in, and are in turn produced by these technologies. This course will provide students an opportunity to begin unveiling those social relations via a wide-ranging introduction to the growing interdisciplinary field of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) studies. While course readings will especially emphasize sociological approaches, we will also draw on the history and philosophy of science, film, and literature. Questions we will explore include: How are social categories and hierarchies embedded in the structure and function of new technologies? What is the relationship between technological change and social transformation? Have scientific knowledge and technology liberated us, or could they do so in the future?