Key themes in science and technology studies

Om kursen

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with in-depth understanding of key themes in the interdisciplinary STS field. The framing of the research field elaborated in this course brings attention to the ways in which STS discussions have evolved over time and demonstrates the diversity of perspectives. Highlighting long-running theoretical debates the teaching will enable participants to position their own projects in the international STS field.

An additional purpose of the course is to introduce participants to the Gothenburg STS network created by colleagues across Chalmers and Gothenburg University. There will be networking opportunities with faculty, researchers and PhD students in the STS groups at Chalmers and Gothenburg University.

After completing this course, the participants should be able to:
  1. Describe the historical evolution of key approaches in STS.
  2. Explain concepts and research problems characterising STS as a field of inquiry.
  3. Demonstrate how STS perspectives can be applied to relevant issues.
  4. Examine challenges encountered in STS analyses.
  5. Select STS concepts appropriate to a specific research task.

The teaching and learning activities take place in three workshops running over two days, from lunchtime to lunchtime. Workshop activities include lectures, seminars and practical exercises.

Outline of the workshops

Workshop 1: Controversy, Symmetry and Agency, 19-20 October, lunch to lunch.
Teachers: Lena Eriksson and Doris Lydahl

Workshop 2: Infrastructures, Categorisation and Politics, 27-28 November, lunch to lunch. 
Teachers: Catharina Landström, Francis Lee and Lisa Lindén

Workshop 3: Boundaries, Overflows and Multiple Ontologies, 7-8 December, lunch to lunch.
Teachers: Mark Elam, Jesper Petersson and Göran Sundquist

Mer information

Lisa Lindén, lisa.linden@chalmers.se

Kurslitteratur

The extensive reading list (to be announced in June 2023) will equip participants to engage in incisive analysis of the themes highlighted in the workshop sessions. Examples of topics that will be addressed are controversies, symmetry, agency, infrastructures, accountability, hybridity, and multiplicity.

Föreläsare

Lisa Lindén and teachers from the STS Division at TME and Gothenburg University