Sociology of Science and Technology

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

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 Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject begins with a sustained engagement with classic texts in the sociology of science and technology, such as works by Merton, Schaffer, Collins, Bloor, Barnes and Kuhn. We follow this with the emergence of a series of radical proposals challenging the classics, including work by Latour, Haraway and Suchman. In the second part of the semester students will have the opportunity to apply their understanding of these contested ideas to a research project of their own choosing.

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

• have become familiar with the historical development of conceptual aspects sociology of science and technology;
• have developed capacities of analytic reading;
• have strengthened their abilities in synthesising arguments;
• have developed academic writing skills.

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

Hurdle requirement:

• Students must attend a minimum of 75% of classes in order to pass this subject.
• All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. After five days late assessment will not be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

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.