Seminars (392-0-20)
Topic
Science in Crisis?
Instructors
Clay Butler Davis
Clay Davis is a PhD candidate in sociology. He has expertise in medical sociology, science & technology studies, and social theory. He researches social movements--like HIV/AIDS activists and "biohackers"--that advance their agendas by intervening in knowledge production and mediating expert authority.
Meeting Info
University Hall 112: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
"Science in crisis?"
Why, in moments of crisis, do some people distrust scientific experts while others embrace them? This course will begin to answer this question in three steps: First, we will unpack the tools that experts use to assert their authority and produce a binding perception of reality. Then, we will consider the way that social movements—including "citizen scientists," HIV/AIDS activists, and "biohackers"—contest, mistrust, or reaffirm experts' authority. Finally, we will study how these disputes are shaped by regulatory bureaucracies and the legal system. Throughout the course, students will apply concepts from the interdisciplinary field of science and technology studies (STS) to current "crises" that hinge on scientific expertise like climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rise of artificial intelligence.
Learning Objectives
1. To recognize that the production, contestation, and application of scientific facts (and expert authority) is a social process.
2. To understand the multidimensional reasons that publics (often as social movements) come to trust or distrust experts.
3. To see how the administrative state and courts mediate interactions between lay publics and experts.
4. For students to apply concepts from the interdisciplinary field of science and technology studies (STS) to current events.
Teaching Method
Class will begin with a brief lecture followed by student discussion and group work
Evaluation Method
Participation, synthesis papers, and a final research paper
Class Materials (Required)
All materials for this course will be made available on Canvas - no purchase necessary.
Class Attributes
Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area