Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2022 - IAT 803 G100

Science, Technology & Culture (3)

Class Number: 2305

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 10 – Apr 11, 2022: Fri, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Surrey

  • Prerequisites:

    SIAT Graduate Student.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces the core values of interdisciplinary scholarship through engagement with history, theory and practice in the study of science, technology, society and culture. This course will be a reading-intensive, extended seminar style investigation of theoretical and historical references in science and technology studies and broader societal implications of technologies.

COURSE DETAILS:

Interdisciplinary Engagements with Science, Technology, Society and Culture introduces SIAT graduate students to core values of interdisciplinary scholarship through engagement with history, theory and practice in the study of science, technology, society and culture. This course provides a foundational theoretical and historical engagement with literature reflecting interdisciplinary approaches to technology design and use in contemporary society.

The course will be a reading-intensive, extended seminar-style investigation of theoretical and historical references in science and technology studies and broader societal implications of technologies. It will provide each cohort with critical thinking, reading and writing foundation for future research and design practices. The course is designed to complement core SIAT courses in Research Design and Computation.


The course will address questions such as:
• How have people been thinking and writing critically about technology, today and in the past? What counts as knowledge in the Arts and Humanities?
• What counts as knowledge in the Sciences?
• How can scholars trace their ideas back to those that preceded them in various knowledge traditions?
• What are some of the major assumptions that underlie how knowledge is produced in diverse disciplines?
• What are the extra “costs” and “benefits” of interdisciplinary work?
• Where do knowledge traditions merge and converge, and where/how are they in tension with one another?
• What are the broader implications of scientific and technological practices for society––for example, our understandings of concepts of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, conflict, and history?
• What are some of the current implications for designers in today’s societal contexts?

Students will engage with theoretical approaches and case studies of how technology and society are intertwined and its implications for the design and use of technology. They will be able to apply what they have learned in this course to their chosen field of study.

 

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

1. Lead and participate in seminar discussions.
2. Contribute written responses throughout the course.
3. Critically engage with course readings and media screenings/interactions.
4. Select and investigate a topic relevant to their research/practice.
5. Submit a final project that builds on a particular theoretical definition and results in a final paper on a specified topic.
6. Be able to identify and articulate between multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, especially in collaborations.
7. Be able to identify and articulate differences between 'knowledge bases' and disciplinary fields.

Grading

  • Response Paper 15%
  • Seminar Presentation 15%
  • Project Proposal 10%
  • Term Paper 50%
  • Class Participation 10%

NOTES:

This seminar will be delivered in person. Course materials will be made available digitally to support SFU's Communicable Diseases Plan and support overall community health and wellbeing. 

Reading and writing will be emphasized, in part because it is necessary for completing your comprehensive exams (PhD students), and theses or dissertations, but also because it helps to think through and communicate research ideas and situate your research within your interdisciplinary fields. The Term Paper may also have an applied project or research-creation work as its focus. You will develop your term project in consultation with the instructor.

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REQUIREMENTS:

Links to online readings and library resources will be provided.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Readings will be provided online and will be specific chapters from:

• Bauchspies, Wenda K., Jennifer Croissant, and Sal Restivo. 2006. Science, Technology, and Society: A Sociological Approach. Wiley. 

• Hackett, E., Amsterdamska, O., Lynch, M. et al., Eds. 2008. The Handbook of Science and Technology Studies, 3rd ed. Cambridge: the MIT Press. 

• Felt, U., Fouche, R., Miller, C., et al., Eds. 2017. The Handbook of Science and Technology Studies, 4th ed. Cambridge: the MIT Press.

Additional articles and weekly readings will be listed on canvas. Readings and media may be added over the course of the semester.


Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SPRING 2022

Teaching at SFU in spring 2022 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with safety plans in place.  Some courses will still be offered through remote methods, and if so, this will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the spring 2022 term.