Science, Technology, and Culture

Catalog description

A survey of the development and culture of science, technology, and medicine in world history. S T S 100 Science, Technology, and Culture (3) (GH)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. 'Science, Technology, and Culture' surveys the development and culture of science, technology, and medicine in world history. This course will introduce students to using the humanities, social sciences, and the arts to understand the development and uses of science, technology, and medicine in human history. The course focuses on broad trends and changes over time in their social and cultural contexts. The course is intended to address the needs of a wide range of students. For students majoring in the the arts, humanities and social sciences, the course provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between lay/popular and techno-scientific cultures. For the scientific and technically oriented student, the class exposes students to the study of technical and scientific problems from a broader cultural and historical perspective. All students will develop a knowledge of the values that have motivated and informed scientific, technological, and clinical ventures as well as an appreciation of important cultural dimensions of techno-scientific work, including the influence of religious concepts and practices, the impact of race, class, and gender, the significance of language and symbols, and the role played by local and global traditions. The course also asks students to think critically about the role of science, technology, and medicine in world history and the impact of that history on today's world. Topics include: the role of scientific and technical expertise in society; the social and economic conditions that have fostered and impeded scientific development and technological innovation; the social, aesthetic, and symbolic considerations that have shaped the way scientific ideas have been framed and used; and the impact of scientific notions and technological innovations on social life. Students are required to read both primary and secondary texts. Students are also required to augment their classroom readings with scholarly material that they find through library and electronic research. In addition to regular classroom discussions, students will also participate in team-based learning activities and projects that require the students to interact with their peers and to present their thoughts publicly.