Science in Action

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This course is situated in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and analyses the social and cultural complexities involved in the production and dissimination of scientific knowledge. We wil take the idea that most knowledge production today happens in a context of multi- disciplinarity, as our point of departure. This perspective will help us to understand how science operates in today’s complex world. To gain insight in science we zoom in on the organization of knowledge production and its collaborative character. We also study processes in which credible facts are established and published. Furthermore, this course also pays attention to the integrity of science and in particular its grey areas. Beside the immediate context in which scientific facts are established (i.e. the lab), the course also takes into account the wider socio-economic context in which science operates. This involves not only the commercialization of science, but also the way its promises and expectations are related to our hopes and fears. Finally, you will gain insights into the way the cultural-historical contexts affects the interpretation of facts. Based on discussions and analyses of these topics the course aims to make you reflect critically on ‘common sense’ views of the making and use of scientific claims. Besides tutorial meetings, the course also involves lectures, discussion meetings, video analysis, and a visit to a scientific lab for an interview. Students will engage in intensive hands-on project work during this course, whereby they will examine changes in the organization of scientific practice in a domain of their choosing.