Universität Wien

233030 VO Knowledge and Technology Cultures: Central Issues, Questions and Concepts (2020S)

Central Issues, Questions and Concepts

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 23 - Soziologie
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
Register/Deregister for this course

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Examination dates

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 04.03. 09:15 - 11:15 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien (Kickoff Class)
  • Wednesday 11.03. 09:15 - 11:15 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 18.03. 09:15 - 11:15 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 25.03. 09:15 - 11:15 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 22.04. 09:15 - 11:15 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 29.04. 09:15 - 11:15 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 13.05. 09:15 - 11:15 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 20.05. 09:15 - 11:15 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 27.05. 09:15 - 11:15 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 10.06. 09:15 - 11:15 Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

In this lecture and the accompanying discussion class, we will develop an overview of work engaging with two central tenets of STS research.

1) That both scientific knowledge and technologies are developed in social and cultural contexts, and that these contexts impinge on the form and political implications of the respective knowledge and technological artefacts.
2) That scientific knowledge and technologies are both an integral part of our cultures and strongly shape them - we indeed live in technological cultures and in knowledge societies.

To cover this broad field, the semester will be a journey through quite different topics and to many different places, from the arcane citadels of contemporary research to the mundane everyday use of technologies. We will engage with laboratory studies and newer approaches to analyze scientific knowledge production, particularly in the changing institutional landscapes of today; we will scrutinize how technological innovations are brought into being and how much our contemporary societies depend on technological infrastructures; and we will trace the ways in which techno-science has become part of our everyday cultures, and how both scientific and technological change affect some of the most basic categories of our living in the world, including how we perceive time, deal with our bodies or interact with each other in society.

Assessment and permitted materials

The grade is determined by student’s performance in the digital written exam. Registration for the exam via u:space is obligatory. Questions will be based on the lecture and slides. Students are expected to develop a thorough understanding of the concepts introduced, and a qualified overview of the fields of research surveyed in the lecture. To perform well in the exam, students are advised to also consult the key literature for each unit (clearly identified on the slides). In this, it is not necessary to read every book and paper. Rather, students should selectively use the literature to deepen their understanding of key concepts introduced in the lecture.
No list of potential questions will be available for the exam. Further exam dates will be offered in the middle of the winter term, and the end of the winter term. These dates will be announced in September.

'This course uses the plagiarism-detection service Turnitin for larger assignments.'

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The examination for the lecture will be graded on a basis of 100 points in total.

100-87 points Excellent (1)
86-75 points Good (2)
74-63 points Satisfactory (3)
62-50 points Sufficient (4)
49-0 points Unsatisfactory (5) (fail)

Tools and resources permitted in the lecture exam: In the exam, students are allowed to use lecture notes and slides, as well as internet sources.

Examination topics

Questions will be based on the lecture and slides. Students are expected to develop a thorough understanding of the concepts introduced, and a qualified overview of the fields of research surveyed in the lecture. To perform well in the exam, students are advised to also consult the key literature for each unit (clearly identified on the slides). In this, it is not necessary to read every book and paper. Rather, students should selectively use the literature to deepen their understanding of key concepts introduced in the lecture.

Reading list

Association in the course directory

MA HPS neu: Modul 1.1, Modul 1.2, Modul 1.3

Last modified: Fr 12.05.2023 00:20