Universität Wien

233031 KO Discussion Class Knowledge and Technology Cultures (2021W)

1.00 ECTS (1.00 SWS), SPL 23 - Soziologie
Continuous assessment of course work
MIXED

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).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If the number of students in the course is 24 or less, the course will be held entirely in presence in the seminar room of the Department of Science and Technology Studies. If the number of students is 25 or more, the course will be offered in a hybrid format, in which 24 students are present and the exceeding number of students participates remotely. The concrete organization of the hybrid mode will be communicated and agreed on in the first course unit.

Monday 11.10. 16:15 - 19:00 Digital (Kickoff Class)
Wednesday 20.10. 12:15 - 14:15 Hybride Lehre
Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 10.11. 12:15 - 14:15 Hybride Lehre
Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Wednesday 24.11. 12:15 - 14:15 Hybride Lehre
Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Monday 13.12. 16:15 - 18:15 Hybride Lehre
Seminarraum STS, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
Monday 17.01. 16:15 - 18:15 Hybride Lehre
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. Lectures will cover the relations of science, technology and society in a broad range of fields, i.e., academic governance, security and surveillance, outer space and (digital) infrastructures.

Assessment and permitted materials

The aim of the discussion class is to interactively deepen students’ knowledge of the concepts and cases introduced in the lecture. The discussion class builds on discussion and the active participation of all students. For each workshop one group of students will act as 'workshop leaders'.

A discussion workshop generally has four phases:
- go through the texts in smaller groups and discuss their key points (max. 30 minutes); the workshop leaders should be the moderators of these discussions;
- bring the results to the plenary (50 minutes); we go through each text and elaborate out the key issues;
- reflect on what we learn across the papers and how they relate to the overall topics of the lecture (max. 30 minutes);
- feedback on how the workshop worked.

Further, each student will read a book related to the lecture topic and write a book review of 1200-1500 words. The review should not be a chapter-by-chapter description of the book, but rather give the reader a good overall idea of the topic and the argument of the book. Try to identify the author’s main thesis or concern and describe how she/he develops it in the book. Describe which central concepts the author uses, how they are defined, and how they are used (e.g. in debating empirical material). Concluding the review, (a) comment on whether the book presents a convincing and well-rounded argument (that is, whether it comprehensively answers the questions it outlines), (b) comment on how the book’s argument relates to the overall topic of the class and (c) give a personal opinion of your reading experience.

To pass the discussion class, students are expected to:
Read the literature for the respective discussion workshop
Participate actively in the in-class discussions
Facilitate one workshop with your group: No power point presentations are requested, but preparing questions for the text that had to be read and think about ways how to conduct the discussion; pay attention to the time management and that everybody engages.
Write a book review.

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

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The grading of the course is based on the separate assessment of different tasks on a scale of 1-5.

The relative weight of each task in relation to the overall grade is:

In-class-participation: 40 percent, assessed individually, feedback on request;
Workshop facilitation: 30 percent, assessed individually, feedback on request;
Book Review: 30 percent, assessed individually, feedback on request;

Minimum requirements
To successfully complete the course, a weighted average of at least 4,5 is required. Failure to meet the attendance regulations, to deliver course assignments on time or to adhere to standards of academic work may result in a deduction of points.

Formal details for handing in written work
All written work must be uploaded in time to the respective folder on Moodle. All documents must be in pdf format, page numbered, in A4 format and contain the name of the student as well as the description of the assignment. Page numbers of assignments are based on 11 point font, 1 1/2 line spacing.

Attendance
Presence and participation is compulsory. An absence of two hours (= 1 discussion class session) at maximum is tolerated, provided that the teaching assistants are informed about the absence. Absences of up to four hours in total may be compensated by either a deduction of points or/and extra-work agreed with the lecturer. Whether compensation is possible is decided by the lecturer.
Absences of more than four hours in total cannot be compensated. In this case, or if the lecturer does not allow a student to compensate absences of more than two hours, the course can not be completed and is graded as a ‘fail’ (5), unless there is a major and unpredictable reason for not being able to fulfil the attendance requirements on the student’s side (e.g. a longer illness). In such a case, the student may be de-registered from the course without grading. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate this in a timely manner, and to provide relevant evidence to their claims if necessary. Whether this exception applies is decided by the lecturer.

Important Grading Information
If not explicitly noted otherwise, all requirements mentioned in the grading scheme and the attendance regulations must be met. If a required task is not fulfilled, e.g. a required assignment is not handed in or if the student does not meet the attendance requirements, this will be considered as a discontinuation of the course. In that case, the course will be graded as ‘fail’ (5), unless there is a major and unpredictable reason for not being able to fulfill the task on the student's side (e.g. a longer illness). In such a case, the student may be de-registered from the course without grading. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate this in a timely manner, and to provide relevant evidence to their claims if necessary. Whether this exception applies is decided by the lecturer.

If any requirement of the course has been fulfilled by fraudulent means, be it for example by cheating at an exam, plagiarizing parts of a written assignment or by faking signatures on an attendance sheet, the student's participation in the course will be discontinued, the entire course will be graded as ‘not assessed’ and will be entered into the electronic exam record as ‘fraudulently obtained’. Self-plagiarism, particularly re-using own work handed in for other courses, will be treated likewise.

Examination topics

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