Controversies in Science, Technology and Medicine: What They Are and How to Study Them

Catalog description

Scientists and medical researchers try to avoid controversy whilst STS scholars argue that controversy can be a motor of scientific and medical change. There is a lengthy tradition of research into different forms of controversies within science, technology, and medicine. We will read selectively and discuss critically this literature particularly focusing upon controversies in medicine. Controversies we will examine include, how best to run clinical trials, alternative medicine, anti-vaxxers and the role of patients in developing new disease categories. We will also look at the ethics of carrying out medical research on the incarcerated and other disadvantaged groups. We will cover historical cases as well as contemporary ones. Students will critically evaluate the main analytical approaches towards controversies and will choose one controversy to focus upon in their final paper.