PHIL 316 Science, Technology and Society

PHIL 316(W) SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND  SOCIETY

Spring 2008

Mary Tiles
Sakamaki D301
mtiles@hawaii.edu

Prerequisites

At least one lower division philosophy course or consent.

This course is a recommended elective for secondary science education, various science programs and environmental studies.

Course Objectives:–

The aim of this course is to promote a grater awareness of understanding of the ways in which science and technology shape society and are in turn influenced by society.

This is a writing intensive course.  As such another course objective is to focus on the ability to present a clear and concise articulation of arguments for an against positions on controversial topics.  To pass and to receive writing intensive credit all writing assignments must be completed.

Course Content:–

Technology is integral to our society, to our ways of life, ways of thinking and ways of relating to one another and the world.  Technology itself is not just applied science but is the result of a complex of processes in which social economic and other demands make calls upon scientific theories and on engineering skills.  As we penetrate into the world of science in action we find that the web of science, technology and society is intricate and such that all components are necessary to an understanding of each other.  In this course we will trace some of those threads and gain an appreciation for some of the interconnections by investigating the nature and role of the infrastructure networks necessary to support the technologies on which our way of life depends.  We will also ask whether this dependence is sustainable?  Can we afford to maintain the kind of infrastructure networks we have built?  Can we afford not to?  Are there any alternatives?

Required Texts:–

Bruno Latour            Pandora’s Hope: Essays on the Reality of Science Studies
Mike Davis               Planet of Slums
Arthur Molella &
   Joyce Bedi (ed.)    Inventing for the Environment
Kate Ascher            The Works: Anatomy of a City

Recommended Reading

Jane Holtz Kay        Asphalt Nation
Vaclav Smil             Creating the Twentieth Century: Technical Innovations and their Lasting Impact
Brian Hayes            Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial landscape

Assignments and Assessment

Each week there will be short written answer questions on the reading (answers not to exceed 1p).

There will be three 4-6 page assignments.  Due dates for these will be indicated on the detailed class syllabus.  Written feedback will be given on each of these papers when they are first graded; a paper may be resubmitted up to one week after having been returned.  The grade will only be revised if there is significant revision in response to comments on the earlier version; simply correcting spelling or punctuation errors will not result in a change of grade. 

By mid-semester each student will be asked to choose the type of infrastructure network they would like to investigate in some depth (whether water, sewer, electrical, road…).  The result of this investigation will be a 8-10 page report due on the date of the final exam.  The third of the 4-6 page assignments will also be on this topic and can form the basis for planning the longer report.  There will be a common set of kinds of questions students will be expected to cover in the report.  If they so wish, students may work together to do this research, but in that case they should jointly produce a proportionately longer and more detailed report.  Students can elect to have such collaborative work graded as one piece (all contributors receiving the same grade) or, if students indicate clearly what their individual contributions are, 75% of the grade will be on the individual contribution and 25% for the overall success of the joint project.