Sociology of Science and Technology

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours

Admission to fourth year Honours or the Postgraduate Diploma in the discipline of History and the Philosophy of Science

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject provides a sustained engagement with classic texts in sociology of science and technology. We begin with the emergence of sociology at the beginning of the twentieth century with Marx, Weber, and Durkheim in which sociology of science and technology was deeply implicated. We will consider the recent proposal that the sociologist Gabriel de Tarde should be added to this pantheon. We follow the emergence of a series of radical proposals in sociological study of science and technology as the twentieth century advanced. The relations between paradigms - their differences and connections will be examined by reading the original texts.

• Students will become familiar with the historical development of conceptual aspects sociology of science and technology

• Students will develop capacities of analytic reading.

•Students will strengthen their abilities in synthesising arguments

• Students will develop academic writing skills

Written work totaling 5,000 words 100% (due at the end of semester).

Hurdle Requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 75% of classes in order to pass this subject. Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 2% per working day; after five working days, no late assessment will be marked. In‐class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Subject readings will be available online

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who successfully complete this subject will

• develop skills in written communication.
• Analyse complex texts
• conduct independent research.
• make appropriate use of primary and secondary sources in mounting an argument.
• develop skills in synthesizing and analysing literature relevant to a specific discipline or topic
• form defensible judgements based on a critical evaluation of conflicting arguments.