Jeffrey Alan Johnson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Department of History and Government

"She blinded me with science, and hit me with technology." --Thomas Dolby

Despite the fact that we are surrounded by science and technology in the modern world, for the most part we are blind to its social effects, which often affect us more by force than by choice. Since the 16th century science has shaped and reshaped the western world, but only recently have its social effects come under serious scrutiny. Beginning with the atom bomb, sciences and technologies like the human genome project, the Internet, and ecology have spurred the examination of the relationships among science, technology, and society.

This course is an introduction to the study of those relationships. We begin by asking how we might understand science and technology as social processes and social products. How do social practices shape science and technology, and vice versa? We then turn to some practical problems raised by science and technology as they are used by society. Do science and technology produce government by experts? How much does (or can) the public know about science and technology? Can they be governed democratically? From here we move to more general theories about the place of science and technology in society, comparing many who believe that it is indispensable with those who find it making our lives worse.

The climax of the course is a series of student-led case studies of the social challenges posed by specific sciences or technologies. Each student will have the opportunity to lead the class is discussion of the issues presented by a science or technology of the student's choice, based on a research paper on the chosen topic.

This course earns credit in the political theory subfield of the political science major.

Workload
Though this is a summer course, you will receive a full semester's credit for it. This means that you will do a full semester's worth of work. As a rule of thumb, you should work two hours outside of class for every contact hour (50 minutes) in class: a total commitment of 18 hours per week. The readings for this course are extensive. You should be prepared to read approximately 50 pages per course meeting, and to complete one major writing assignment every two weeks. There will also be frequent minor writing assignments.

Course Policies
Students are responsible for complying with all course policies. General course policies are described in the “General Course Policies” document. Policies specific to this course are described below. Both are also available at my web site. All policies and schedules are provisional, and are subject to addition, deletion, change, or waiver with or without notice when, in the sole judgment of the instructor, doing so would further the educational goals of the course. Where these policies conflict with university regulations, those regulations prevail.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS COURSE CONSTITUTES YOUR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AND CONSENT TO THESE POLICIES.

Course Objectives
In addition to the objectives stated in general course policies, students who successfully complete this course will have achieved the following.

1. Students will critically understand the ways in which science and technology shape and are shaped by social and political actors and structures.

2. Students will critically understand the major normative debates over the role of science and technology in modern society.

3. Students will demonstrate their ability to use these principles, debates, and criticisms to analyze the social relationships involved in contemporary sciences and technologies.

Assignments and Evaluation
Students will complete two take-home examinations and one research paper for this class, and will be responsible for leading the class discussion during the final two weeks of class. Students will also complete several in-class writing assignments. The assignments will be due at the beginning of the class period on the scheduled days. Standards for the timely completion and evaluation of all assignments are included in the general course policies. Each exam will be worth 40 points. The paper and student-led class discussion will be worth 80 points. Class participation and in-class assignments will be worth 40 points.

The examinations will ask you to respond to specific questions regarding the material in essays of approximately 1,500 words. The question will include a brief reading establishing the context for the question. The question will be posted on the course schedule page of this web site two days before the exam is due. The class meeting before the exam is due will be devoted to discussing issues related to the question. We will discuss your answers to the question on the day the assignment is due.

The paper will ask you to evaluate the social relationships involved in one body of scientific knowledge or one technology in an essay of approximately 3,000 words. You may choose from the following topics: physics, biology, ecology, social science, computers, agriculture,  energy, and military technology. As far as possible, students must divide evenly among the topics. The paper should:

1. Evaluate the social influences on the development of the science or technology.

2. Evaluate the effects of the science or technology on society.

3. Explain why the science or technology has the social relations that it does using one of the critiques of science and technology that we have studied in class.

You should focus on a particular aspect of the topics (e.g., one working on physics might focus on quantum mechanics, relativity, or cosmology); students working on the same topic should coordinate their efforts to write on separate aspects of the topic.

Each student will lead class discussion of that topic during the last two weeks of the course. To lead the discussion, you must:

1. Identify a reading list of approximately 50 pages on which class discussion will be based and provide a web link or electronic copy (if possible) or a photocopy (only if no electronic version is available) of the readings to the instructor.

2. Prepare a presentation of approximately 15 minutes that gives an overview of the issues involved in the science or technology and provides a general context for the readings.

3. Prepare and guide an approximately 30-minute discussion of questions that that help the class better understand the issues raised in the assigned readings and the larger social implications of the topic.

4. Prepare a brief (one that can be completed in approximately 10 to 15 minutes) written assignment to be completed in class by the other students, and grade that assignment on an outstanding-satisfactory-unsatisfactory basis.

Topics will be selected on June 13. A draft of the paper of at least 2,000 words addressing all major topics required in the paper, and the reading list is due on Friday, July 12. The final paper will be due Wednesday, July 27.

Readings
The required textbooks are available at the college bookstore and the usual online sources. Additional readings are available online. (Note: a password is required to access some online readings. It is available only in person from the instructor.) All readings are required. Each student should purchase a copy of:

• Frederick Ferré, Philosophy of Technology (Athens, Georgia and London: The University of Georgia Press, 1995), ISBN 0-8203-1761-6.

• David J. Hess, Science Studies: An Advanced Introduction (New York and London: New York University Press, 1997), ISBN 0-8147-3564-9.

Course Schedule
Readings without hyperlinks are found in Hess or Ferré.  Follow the hyperlinks to find the additional texts. (Note: a password is required to access some online readings. It is available only in person from the instructor.)

Part I: Science, Technology, and Society

June 1: Course overview.
No Readings

June 2: Introduction to Science and Technology Studies.
Hess, ch.1; Ferré, ch. 1.

June 3: What is science?
Hess, ch. 2. (Bridgestock reading deleted.)

June 6: What is technology?
Ferré, ch. 2; Mumford, "Tool-Users vs. Homo Sapiens."

June 7-9: Social studies of science.
Hess, chs. 3-5; Latour and Woolgar, "The Construction of a Fact."

June 10, 13:  Technology and science.
Ferré, chs. 3, 4; Pinch and Bijker, "The Social Construction of Facts and Artifacts."

June 14: Paper topic selection. Come prepared with three possible sciences or technologies that you would like to write your paper on. Each student must have a unique topic.

First Exam
June 14: Exam review. Meet to discuss concepts related to exam questions.
June 15: Exam due at beginning of class. Meet to discuss answers.

Part II: Problems of Scientific and Technological Practice

June 16: Public Policy.
Lowe, "Science, Technology, and Public Policy"; Rich, "The Politics of Expertise in Congress and the News Media."

June 17: Law.
Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals; Edmond and Mercer, “Trashing 'Junk Science.'”

June 20: Culture and Ethics.
Ferré, chs. 6 (ch. 7 deleted); Merelman, "Technological Culture and Liberal Democracy."

June 21: International Relations.
Burch, "Science, Technology, and the Less-Developed Countries"; Grubb, "Kyoto and the Future of International Climate Change Responses: From Here to Where?".

June 22: Democracy.
Sclove, "Town Meetings on Technology"; Jasanoff, "The Dilemma of Environmental Democracy"; Kleinman, "Democratizing Knowledge Production."

Second Exam
June 23: Exam review
June 24: Exam due at beginning of class.

June 27: Paper discussion. Prepare an outline of your paper, identifying (1) at least three ways in which social practices and structures have shaped the development of your topic, (2) at least three ways in which your topic has influenced social practice, (3) at least two social problems that it poses and one that it contributes to solving, and (4) a list of possible readings for the class discussion.

Part III: Political Theories of Science and Technology

June 28, 29: The Enlightenment and Science
Bacon, New Atlantis; Rousseau, "Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts," Bentham, Principles of Morals and of Legislation, chs. I, II, and VII.

June 30, July 1: Marxism.
Marx, "Bourgeoisie and Proletarians," Grundrisse; Engels, Socialism: Utopian and Scientific.

July 5, 6: Turn of the 20th Century.
Spencer, Social Statics; Weber, "Science as a Vocation," Dewey, "Science and Society." Reference: Lamarckian Evolution.

July 7-11: Against Modern Technology
Heidegger, "The Question Concerning Technology"; Marcuse, One Dimensional Man, chs. 1, 10; Foucault, "Panopticism," Latour, We Have Never Been Modern.

July 12: Paper draft due. Prepare (1) a draft of the paper of at least 2,000 words addressing all major topics required in the paper, and (2) a reading list of approximately 50 pages on which class discussion will be based, and provide a web link or electronic copy (if possible) or a photocopy (only if no electronic version is available) of the readings to the instructor. It will be reviewed in class by other students and graded by the instructor.

Part IV: Case Studies

July 13: Music Downloading (Kara Morris).

July 14: Gene Therapy (Kim Bratton)

July 15: Location Tracking (Brooke Beato)

July 18: No class (presenter absent).

July 19: Periodic Table of the Elements (Bethany Beck)

July 20: Medical Marijuana (Manuel Hager)

July 21: Time (Francisco Jaome)

July 22: Music Format Technology (Alan Cox)

July 25: Color-blindness (Steve Small)

Final Paper

July 26: Paper review. You may bring a draft of your paper to class to discuss with Prof. Johnson. Attendance is not required.
July 27: Papers due in class. Late papers will be accepted without penalty until noon on Friday, July 29. Papers turned in after then will not be accepted unless arrangements are made for an incomplete grade in the course (possible only in extremely unusual circumstances). Papers may be turned in early.