230142 SE Risky Entanglements? Theorising Science, Technology and Society Relationships (2014W)

The principal aim of the introductory seminar is to chart the theoretical landscape of STS, its key concerns and major approaches. Therefore, the seminar combines a comprehensive overview of theorising in STS and a more focused presentation of leading approaches in the field. What do these approaches have in common? Where do they differ? To have these questions answered, the seminar discusses seminal texts in STS, whilst making explicit their background assumptions. Special attention will be devoted to the latter task, as the seminar is designed for newcomers to STS and students of various disciplinary backgrounds.
The didactic aim of the seminar, then, is to promote clarity and create confidence in working with theoretical concepts in STS. The theoretical approaches covered range from structural functionalism, the 'strong programme' in the sociology of scientific knowledge and laboratory studies to actor-network theory, feminist science studies and co-production.