HPSC0009 Introduction to History, Philosophy and

Social Studies of Science

Course Syllabus

2024-25

This course is an introduction to history, philosophy, and social studies of science. We will think critically about key questions that have shaped, and continue to shape, this exciting and dynamic field of study. What grants the authority of science in our society? How have scientists constructed and maintained their identity through time, and has this come at the expenses of other social groups? What are the relationships between science, society and culture, and how have those relationships changed through time? What is the role of scientific experts in society? Should science today be a force behind positive social change, and if so how can we make it happen? Using historical and contemporary case studies, the focus of this module is to encourage students to start thinking critically about these questions, while at the same time developing their skills as independent, interdisciplinary and publicly engaged scholars. This course is intended as a foundation and sampler for later courses in Science and Technology Studies.

How this module works

This course is an introduction to History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science, which aims at building key skills: reading and studying skills, locating bibliographical sources, referencing, argumentation/critical thinking, and oral and written communication skills. You will need these skills throughout your degree and they will be required in all modules in STS – but they will also be useful in your future professional life! Combining content and skill-building, you will have the opportunity to explore the field and acquire foundational concepts and methods to pursue further study in STS.

The lectures and seminars take place in person on Mondays (please consult your timetable for the lecture venue and your allocated seminar slot). Attendance is mandatory, and there will be no recordings of the lectures and seminars. The lecture will cover the course material assigned for each week and explain the key concepts covered each week. The seminars will start with 15-20 minutes discussing your understanding of the readings, and you will be expected to contribute to the discussion. The remaining portion of the seminars will include activities and short group exercises aimed at developing studying, referencing, argumentation and critical skills. It is crucial that you attend both lectures (one hour per week) and seminars (one hour per week) if you want to do well on this course.

Please familiarise yourself with the syllabus and with the Moodle page for this module. Make a note of the deadlines for each of the three assessments (detailed assessment instructions are also on Moodle, in the ‘Assessment’ tab). You will see that the Moodle page is organised in weekly topics. Each topic contains the activities you are expected to engage in each week. It also contains a list of links with the online resources (readings, videos, additional resources) that we will use in the module.

Each week you are expected to complete the assigned readings (from beginning to end!), attend the lecture and seminars, and consult some additional materials which will help you understand the topic and clarify core concepts. You are also expected to use the UCL Library to locate additional literature that will help you gain a deeper understanding of the topics discussed each week (library skills will also be covered in the lectures and seminars). It is crucial that you complete the readings and engage in the skill-building activities in the seminars, as they are specifically aimed at helping you develop studying, referencing, and argumentation skills, build toward each of the three assessments, and discuss the course material and assessment with your peers.

Coursework

All the coursework for this module is tailored around developing studying, writing, research and argumentation skills. You will build toward your final essay in steps, with each part of the assessment helping you develop the skills you need to construct a clear, critical and well supported argument. You will start by learning the basics: how to locate, read, and annotate your sources. You will then move on to academic writing, starting with a draft plan of the essay you have chosen to write for this course among the suggested essay topics (Assessment 1). You will receive feedback from your tutors prior to the submission of the final essay at the end of term. You will then test your argument by presenting it briefly in an oral form. to your peers, and give your peers feedback on their own work (Assessment 2). With feedback on your plan from your tutors, and oral feedback from your peers, you will then be ready to complete and submit your final essay (Assessment 3)

Detailed instructions on each assessment component are available on Moodle, in the Assessment section.

Note that if you want to do well on the assessment you need to engage with the skill activities in the seminars group each week. These are geared toward building your skills gradually, and in parallel with the contents covered in each lecture.

Criteria for assessment

The departmental marking guidelines for individual items of assessment can be found in the STS Student Handbook. Criteria for marking are also explained in each Assessment Guidelines document, and will be discussed in class.

Please note that the assessment for this course falls under Category 1 in UCL’s guidelines on using AI in assessment: AI tools cannot be used to complete it. More information, and the pedagogical rationale for this, are in the guidelines for each assessment in Moodle.

Aims and Objectives

Aims

The aim of this course is to provide students with an overview of foundational concepts, debates and methodologies in the field of Science and Technology Studies. Combining content and skill-building, the course will equip students with conceptual and methodological foundations to pursue further studies in history, philosophy, and social studies of science.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

1. Understand and apply fundamental concepts in History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science;

2. Locate sources in libraries and archives, and reference them consistently;

3. Analyse a scholarly text, identifying and assessing its key thesis;

4. Research independently, locating literature and case studies and evaluating their relevance in relation to a specific research question;

5. Build a sound argument, justifying its main claims through evidence from the literature;

6. Test the validity and limitations of HPS/STS concepts against independently researched historical or contemporary case studies