Science in Action

Full course description

Situated in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), this course analyses the social and cultural complexities involved in the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The course aims to clarify how social, cultural, political, or economic forces play an inextricable role in the practice and production of science. For example, to understand the science-society relationship, we analyse the historical context in which Einstein developed his theory of relativity to discuss the integrity of research. We also look at a 1970s controversy about gravitational waves, when their existence had not yet been confirmed, to understand how scientific claims are accepted or rejected within the scientific community. In addition, insights from cultural anthropology allow us to discuss how ethnicity, gender and social class influence scientific practices and their output. Such a perspective also enables us to step back and look at science as one among many knowledge systems and relate it to other knowledge frames. An analysis of the relationship between science and society cannot ignore economic dynamics and the digital world in which we live. Therefore, the course will also consider the commercialization of science, as well as Big Data, 'fake-facts,' and the role of Wikipedia, Google Scholar and ChatGPT in the production of knowledge. In this way, the course considers both the broader socio-economic context in which science operates and the immediate context in which scientific facts are established (i.e. the lab). Along these lines, we enter the world of scientists.