Mar 28, 2024  
Catalogue 2020-2021 
    
Catalogue 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Science, Technology and Society Program


Director: David Justin Esteban;

Steering Committee: Abigail Baird (Psychological Science), Elizabeth Howe Bradley (President), Leroy Coopera (Biology), Abigail Coplin (Sociology and Science, Technology and Society), David Justin Esteban (Biology), Kenneth Livingston (Cognitive Science), M. Mark (English), José Perillán (Physics and Astronomy), Nancy Jo Pokrywka (Biology), Claire Sagana (Political Science), Jill S. Schneiderman (Earth Science), Christopher Whiteb (Religion);

Participating Faculty: Alicia Atwoodb (Economics), Abigail Baird (Psychological Science), Elizabeth Howe Bradley (President), Leroy Coopera (Biology), Abigail Coplin (Sociology and Science, Technology and Society), David Justin Esteban (Biology), Benjamin Ho (Economics), Jamie Kellyab (Philosophy), Jennifer Kennella (Biology), Kenneth Livingston (Cognitive Science), John H. Long, Jr.ab (Biology), M. Mark (English), Osman Nemli (Philosophy), Sofia Ortiz-Hinojosa (Philosophy), José Perillán (Physics and Astronomy), Nancy Jo Pokrywka (Biology), Miriam Rossi (Chemistry), Claire Sagana (Political Science), Jill S. Schneiderman (Earth Science), Christopher Whiteb (Religion).

a On leave 2020/21, first semester

On leave 2020/21, second semester

ab On leave 2020/21


The multidisciplinary program in Science, Technology, and Society is designed to enable students to pursue three objectives: a) to understand the central role of science and technology in contemporary society; b) to examine how science and technology reflect their social, political, philosophical, economic and cultural contexts; and c) to explore the human, ethical and policy implications of current and emerging technologies.

Students interested in the program are urged to plan for declaration as early as possible in their college careers. First-year students and sophomores should talk with the director concerning courses to be taken in the first and sophomore years.

Programs

Major

Courses

Science, Technology and Society: I. Introductory

  • STS 106 - Philosophical & Contemporary Issues

    Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as PHIL 106 ) This rendition of the course examines a number of ethical issues that arise in contemporary medical practice and research by analyzing articles and decision scenarios. Topics include the physician-patient relationship, medical experimentation, genetics, reproductive technologies (including cloning and stem cells), termination of treatment, euthanasia, resource allocation, and health care reform in the US. Case studies for some of these topics include the COVID-19 pandemic. Gus Law.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 110 - Interactions among Public Health, Political Instability and Environmental Degradation

    Semester Offered: Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)
    (Same as CLCS 110 ) For the first six weeks, we meet once per week to discuss readings and to hear from faculty providing different perspectives on these issues, using Haiti as a model. During this period, students plan for independent projects to be undertaken during the second six weeks of this intensive experience. Projects may be literature-based or may be project-based and focus on a region of the world or even more locally. Towards the end of the semester, possibly to coincide with the Vassar Haiti Project’s annual Art and Soul Fundraiser, students present their projects.  Kathleen Susman.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: INT
  • STS 111 - Science and Justice in the Anthropocene


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ESCI 111  and GEOG 111 ) Geoscientists have proposed a new designation in the geologic time scale for our current time period, “the Anthropocene.” The designation reflects the fact that human beings are acting as geological agents, transforming the Earth on a global scale. In this first-year seminar course we explore the possibilities of reconfiguring the actions of humans in the Anthropocene so as to lead to a flowering of a new Era once called ‘the Ecozoic’ by cultural historian Thomas Berry. Jill Schneiderman.

    Open only to first-year students; satisfies college requirement for a First-Year Writing Seminar.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

  • STS 131 - Genetic Engineering: Basic Principles and Ethical Questions


    1 unit(s)
    This course includes a consideration of: 1) basic biological knowledge about the nature of the gene, the genetic code, and the way in which the genetic code is translated into the phenotype of the organism; 2) how this basic, scientific knowledge has led to the development of a new technology known as “genetic engineering”; 3) principles and application of the technology itself; 4) the ethical, legal, and economic issues which have been raised by the advent of this technology. Among the issues discussed are ethical questions such as the nature of life itself, the right of scientists to pursue research at will, and the role of the academy to regulate the individual scientific enterprise. Jennifer Kennell.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 137 - Unpacking Climate Change (Un)Certainty

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    The dissonance between the scientific and public understandings of uncertainty can manifest in many ways, but becomes most obvious during scientific controversies. As of late there seems to be a rash of scientific controversies dominating public discourse on all sides of the political landscape. We are seeing an Orwellian emergence of a “post-fact” politics that has normalized the denial of scientific evidence. Whether someone rejects the incontrovertible evidence for anthropogenic climate change or dismisses the numerous studies showing no causal links between childhood vaccinations and autism, it seems that consensus driven scientific evidence and authority are being regularly dismissed on the public stage. In this Grand Challenge course, we use the controversy surrounding the science of climate change as a way of examining the various ways people engage with uncertainty and the impact this has on the erosion of scientific authority. Although this course is firmly rooted in STS frameworks examining the social, political, and economic dimensions of science, it also involves some light quantitative analysis. Although students do not learn statistical methods, they are introduced to concepts like bell curves, standard deviation, and p-hacking. The goal is for students to become more literate and reflexive in how they engage scientific controversies like climate change. As with all scientific controversies, answers are never clear cut. Yet, the messiness isn’t always grounded in the science itself. By examining the social dimensions of this controversy students begin to identify and navigate other rhetorical forces at play. Jose Perillan.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 146 - The Culture and Chemistry of Cuisine


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as CHEM 146 ) A basic biological need of all organisms is the ability to acquire nutrients from the environment; humans accomplish this in many creative ways. Food is an important factor in societies that influences population growth, culture, migration, and conflict. Humans discovered the science and art of food preparation, topics that are explored in this course, not in a single step but rather as an evolving process that continues to this day. This course develops the basic chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology of food preparation; explores the biochemical basis of certain nutritional practices; covers social and political aspects of foods throughout world history. It covers controversies like genetically modified organisms, the production of high-fructose corn syrup, and the historic role of food commodities such as salt, rum, and cod in the world economy. Course topics are explored through lectures, student presentations, and readings from both popular and scientific literature. The course includes a few laboratories to explore the basic science behind food preparation. Miriam Rossi.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 152 - Smallpox: The Biology and History of a Disease

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as BIOL 152 HIST 152  and VICT 152 ) Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases in history: it killed millions, often leaving survivors scarred or blinded. Its eradication in 1980 also marks one of the great medical victories of the modern era. This course examines smallpox from both biological and historical perspectives.  Students explore the workings of the virus, the effects of the disease, the popularization of inoculation in the eighteenth century, Edward Jenner’s development of the cowpox vaccine and how it protects, and efforts to enforce vaccination globally through some of the earliest state public health initiatives. We also investigate the nineteenth-century origins of the anti-vaccination movement with particular attention to its class, anti-imperial, and religious underpinnings. David Esteban and Lydia Murdoch.  

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 160 - Uncertainty, Probability and Spirituality: Physics in Popular Culture

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as PHYS 160  and RELI 160 ) This course examines the cultural history of key ideas and experiments in physics, looking in particular at how non-scientists understood key concepts such as entropy, relativity, quantum mechanics and the idea of higher or new dimensions. It begins with an assumption that’s widely accepted among historians – namely, that the sciences are a part of culture and are influenced by cultural trends, contemporary concerns and even urgent personal ethical or religious dilemmas. In this course we are attuned to the ways that physicists drew key insights from popular culture and how non-scientists, including religious or spiritual seekers, appropriated (and misappropriated) scientific insights about the origin and nature of the world, its underlying laws and energetic forces, and its ultimate meaning and purpose. Brian Daly and Christopher White.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 172 - Microbial Wars


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as BIOL 172 ) This course explores our relationship with microbes that cause disease. Topics including bioterrorism, vaccinology, smallpox eradication, influenza pandemics, antibiotic resistance, and emerging diseases are discussed to investigate how human populations are affected by disease, how and why we alter microorganisms intentionally or unintentionally, and how we study disease causing microbes of the past and present. The use of new technologies in microbiology that allow us to turn harmful pathogens into helpful medical or industrial tools are also discussed. David Esteban.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

  • STS 180 - Health and Healing in the Ancient Mediterranean

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as GRST 180 ) This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to health and healing in the ancient Mediterranean, beginning with Egypt and moving on to Greece, Rome, and the early Middle Ages. Through a variety of readings from medical “literature” (broadly defined), we focus on how patients and practitioners of ancient medicine understood the human body and managed disease. Topics for discussion include medicine and mythology, theories of medicine (such as humoral theory, miasma, and plague), pharmacology, folk medicine, and women’s health, among others. Class discussion and assignments consider how these topics shape our understanding of disease today and what role storytelling plays in the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery of patients. Margaret Elsner.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 189 - Trances, Visions, Meditative States and Altered States of Consciousness

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as RELI 189 ) This course introduces students to ways of interpreting trances, visions, religious experiences, peak experiences and other altered states of consciousness. Readings range from first-hand accounts written by mystics and visionaries to interpretations of unusual experiences by psychologists, theologians, anthropologists, reporters, writers, philosophers and neuroscientists.  he course raises a number of questions that we consider during the semester, including—What are the best ways to describe or explain someone else’s anomalous/religious experience? How do we talk about experiences or behaviors that seem exotic, unhealthy, deviant or odd? Should we strive for “objective,” scientific knowledge or seek other ways of appreciating religious insight and experience? Can scientific methods or tests explain the insights that religious or spiritual people experience? In addition to understanding basic characteristics of different types of experiences we also address these and other controversial questions. Christopher White.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS

Science, Technology and Society: II. Intermediate

  • STS 200 - Conceptualizing STS: Theories and Practice

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    An introduction to the multidisciplinary study of contemporary science and technology through selected case studies and key texts representing the major perspectives and methods of analysis, including work by Thomas Kuhn, Robert Merton, Bruno Latour, Sandra Harding, Helen Longino, and Naomi Oreskes. Some of the issues include the concept of scientific revolution, the nature of “big science” and “high technology,” the sociology of scientific knowledge, the social construction of science and technology, the ethics of funding/owning science and technology, and feminist approaches to science and technology. José Perillán.

    Prerequisite(s): One other Science, Technology and Science course.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 202 - History of Modern Science and Technology


    1 unit(s)
    This course is a survey of major developments in Western science and technology from 1800 to the present with increased attention to contemporary developments in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Major issues include the rise of weapons ammunition (automatic firearms), viral immunization (HIV/AIDS), the human sciences (Darwinism), reproductive technology (birth control), cybernetics (AI), and genetic manipulation (cloning). These topics are discussed in relation to larger processes of colonialism, militarism, higher education, and queer/women’s rights. Students will learn from this course that science and technology are phenomena rooted in historical events, emerging through human exchange, social controversies, and political challenges. 

    Prerequisite(s): One unit of natural or social science.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 220 - Health Economics

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ECON 220 ) Applies theoretical and empirical tools of economics to problems of health and medical care delivery. The main focus of the course  addresses how medical care is produced and financed, in both private and public sectors. Emphasis is on the US, and includes a comparison of the US health system to other countries’ health care systems.  Alicia Atwood.

    Prerequisite(s): ECON 102 . Students with a strong quantitative background may enroll with the instructor’s permission.

    Two 75-minute periods.

  • STS 221 - Medieval Science and Technology

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as HIST 221  and MRST 221 ) Science and technology: the very words seem synonymous with “modernity.” Yet, crucial developments in scientific knowledge and application occurred during the Middle Ages, forming the foundation for the Scientific Revolution. This interdisciplinary course offers an introduction to science and technology in medieval Europe and the Mediterranean world, exploring the influence of classical, East Asian, and Arab learning, and the rise of empiricism and experimentation. Through readings, discussions, and hands-on activities, we examine developments in monasteries, universities, castles, and farms. Topics may include beer making, beekeeping, alchemy, siege warfare, watermills, astrology, plagues, and medicine. Nancy Bisaha, Christopher Smart.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 222 - Bioethics and Human Reproduction


    1 unit(s)
    Scientific and technological advances are revolutionizing the ways in which human beings can procreate. This has given rise to debates over the ethical use of these methods, and over whether and how law and public policy should regulate these procedures and recognize the family relationships created by their use. This course examines topics such as fertility treatments, the commodification of gametes and embryos, contraceptive development and use, genetic screening and genetic modification of embryos, genetic testing in establishing family rights and responsibilities, and human cloning. We examine issues surrounding the ethical use of these methods, and consider whether and how law and public policy should regulate these procedures and recognize the family relationships created by their use. Nancy Pokrywka.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 226 - Philosophy of Science

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as PHIL 226 ) This course investigates questions about the nature of scientific inquiry and knowledge through a survey of classic and contemporary research in the philosophy of science. Our guiding questions are: What distinguishes scientific inquiry from other human projects? What, if anything, justifies the preeminence that is accorded knowledge gained in specifically scientific ways? What features of science make its methods objective, rational, reliable, etc.— if they are so in fact? Specific topics explored may include the nature of explanation, theory change, the puzzle of induction, empirical significance, and whether we should be scientific realists, i.e., should we understand scientific theories as requiring the actual existence of the entities, properties, and laws it purports to describe? Philosophy of science is a deeply historical subject matter, and we frequently have recourse to examples drawn from the history of physics, mathematics, biology, and the social sciences, among others. Matt Moss.

    Prerequisite(s): One 100-level course in Philosophy.

    Two 75-minute periods.

  • STS 240 - The International Social Life of Science and Technology

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as SOCI 240 ) Technological development is not “simply a matter of advances in science and technology, but a product of complex entanglements among knowledge, technical capability, politics, and culture” (Jasanoff 2005, 290). This class examines the co-production of science, politics, and society by analyzing controversies tied to science, technology, and medicine in different international contexts. Using these international cases, we examine how science and technology shape—and are shaped by—structures of inequality, social identities, state’s governance strategies, and society’s counter-movements against the state. We also use this diverse array of global examples to introduce the major theoretical frameworks used by science and technology studies scholars.  Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the socio-politics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, genetic manipulation and testing, nuclear energy and meltdown, environmental disaster, reproductive technologies, the population policy construction, genetically modified crops, the globalized pharmaceutical industry, and information and communication technologies.  Abigail Coplin.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 245 - Medicine, Health and Diseases in East Asia

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ASIA 245  and HIST 245 ) From the globalization of acupuncture to the proliferation of biobanks to the fight against the deadly SARS virus, the history of East Asian medicine and society has been marked by promises and perils. Through examining the ways in which East Asians conceptualized medicine and the body in their fight against diseases from a myriad of sources, this course critically examines the persistence, transformation, and globalization of both “traditional medicine” and biomedicine in East Asia. Topics covered include the knowledge of nature as embedded in the changing categorization of pharmaceuticals, the contestation over vaccination and the definition of diseases, the construction of gender and sexuality in medicine, the importance of religion in healing, the legacies of colonialism in biopolitics and biotechnology, the development of healthcare systems, and the imaginations of Asian medicine in the West. Wayne Soon.

    Two 75-minute periods.

  • STS 247 - Albert Einstein


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as HIST 247 ) This course explores the complex life and work of the iconic scientist of the 20th century. Using recent biographical studies and a wide range of original sources (in translation), Einstein’s revolutionary contributions to relativity and quantum mechanics, his role in Germany in the opposition to the rise of Nazi ideology and anti-Semitism, and his work as a political and social activist in the United States are examined. Students are encouraged to make use of Vassar’s Bergreen Collection of original Einstein manuscripts. José Perillán.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 252 - Health Inequalities and Activism

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as SOCI 252 ) When comparing the 36 countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United States spends twice the average on healthcare. However, the US ranks 28 in life expectancy, 33 in infant mortality, and last in obesity. In other words, Americans spend more on healthcare but live shorter and unhealthier lives. When examining US healthcare up close, there are significant disparities between sub-populations. For example, socioeconomic status (SES) is inversely associated with risk of disease, which means that having higher SES correlates with lower risk of disease. In the first half of this course, students investigate how race, gender, socio-economic status, and their intersections impact health disparities and inequalities. In the second half of this course, students examine collective responses to health inequalities and representation. Catherine Tan.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 255 - Medical Sociology

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as SOCI 255 ) The objective of this course is to introduce students to the central themes and topics of medical sociology, such as: the social model of illness, the profession of medicine, medicalization, clinical gaze, experiences of illness, contested illness, diagnosis, politics of prevention, cultural health capital, and social production of health disparities. How does something become “medical”? What does it mean to be ill? How does illness impact a person’s relationships and sense of self? How might a diagnosis work to stigmatize or validate? The significance of being ill (or of possessing a diagnosis) extends beyond the medical model of health—beyond clinical understandings of causation, treatment, and prevention. Disorders and diseases are socially and culturally dynamic. During this course, students investigate the broader social context in which issues of health and illness are embedded. They also address the social structures that shape the field of medicine and how different groups of people engage with and within this field. Finally, the course examines communities that have formed around illness (such as support groups) and considers how these groups shape identity, empower, and generate knowledge. Catherine Tan.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 258 - Black Holes, Human Clones and Nanobots: The Edge of Science


    1 unit(s)
    Will the newest version of the CERN accelerator in Europe create a mini black hole on earth? What are the implications of our advances in genetic engineering and nanotechnology? Twentieth-century science gave us revolutions in many diverse fields, but three of the most important and pervasive innovations were relativity, quantum theory, and the mapping of the human genome. The effects of these advances on human knowledge have begun to ripple through our society but they are far from having realized their full potential. Where do we stand now and where are we headed? These are the fundamental questions we will grapple with in this course. The implications of understanding nature, and by extension learning to manipulate nature, straddle multiple disciplines. We explore topics in the conceptual understanding of modern science and its relationship to religion, politics, economics, and philosophy. No mathematical background is necessary; a sincere interest in the subject matter is the only pre-requisite for this course. Readings may include works by authors such as Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, James Watson, Justine Burley, Thomas Kuhn, Hilary Putnam, Arthur C. Clarke, Richard Dawkins, and Brian Greene among others. José Perrillán.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 264 - Controversies in Science, Technology & Religion


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as RELI 264 ) This course introduces students to new and controversial topics in the study of religion, science, technology and spirituality. We examine controversial issues such as evolution/creation, artificial intelligence, science fiction as spirituality, religious and secular views of the mind, issues in biomedical ethics such as cloning, the neurology of religious experience, technologically-mediated spirituality, pseudo-science and parapsychology. Christopher White.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 266 - Genetic Revolution & Identity


    1 unit(s)
    This course draws on a variety of scientific, ideological and sociological frameworks to consider the impact of the genetic revolution on our identities as biological and cultural beings. In recent years the unprecedented availability of genetic information has led human beings to redefine themselves in genetic terms. Various researchers have claimed to discover genes influencing intelligence, sexuality, gender, religiosity, aggression and addiction among others. DNA evidence has become a common legal tool, and individuals can acquire extensive genetic information about themselves via “personal genetics” companies. We discuss the ethical, legal, and social implications of this new genetic determinism using multiple frameworks. We also examine the depiction of genetics in popular culture and the effects it has on perceptions of identity. Topics may include nature and nurture, epigenetics, the commercialization of genetic information, DNA databases, and privacy, sexual identity, and race. Nancy Jo Pokrywka.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 267 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ECON 267 ) This course examines environmental and natural resource issues from an economic perspective. Environmental problems and controversies are introduced and detailed, and then various possible policies and solutions to the problems are analyzed. Economic analyses will determine the effectiveness of potential policies and also determine the people and entities which benefit from (and are hurt by) these policies. The goal is for students to develop a framework for understanding environmental problems and then to learn how to analyze policy actions within that framework. Topics include water pollution, air pollution, species protection, externalities, the energy situation, and natural resource extraction. Benjamin Ho.

    Prerequisite(s): ECON 102  and permission of the instructor.

    Recommended: ECON 209 .

    Two 75-minute periods.

  • STS 268 - Current and Emerging Issues in Public Health


    1 unit(s)
    This course examines public health topics of current and emerging interest in both developed and developing nations. Selected topics include theories of justice and public health ethics, social determinants of health, health promotion and disease prevention, health care delivery, environmental problems, and the issues that are influencing and that may influence the health status of populations now and in the future. Contemporary case studies are used to examine and demonstrate the inter-relatedness of social justice, culture, politics, technology, and public health. Leroy Cooper.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 273 - The New Economy


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as SOCI 273 ) The new economy is, in one sense, a very old concern of sociology. Since the discipline’s 19th-c. origins, sociologists have asked how changes in material production and economic relations alter the ways that people live, work, understand their lives, and relate to one another. However, current interests in the new economy center upon something new: a flexible, “just in time” mode of industry and consumerism made possible by information technologies and related organizational innovations. The logic of this new economy, as well as its consequences for society, are the subject of this course. Topics include the evolving role of technology in economic globalization; the precarity of today’s workplaces and labor markets; the question of the “creative class”; digital divides in technology access, education, and lifestyles; and the cutting edges of consumerism. Leonard Nevarez.

  • STS 277 - Feminist Approaches to Science and Technology


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as WMST 277 ) In this course students examine the intersections of science and technology with the categories of gender, race, class, and sexuality. We explore the ways that science and technology help to construct these socio-cultural categories and how the constructions play out in society. Examples come from the history of science and technology, concerns about gender identity, health care, environmentalism, and equal opportunity in education and careers. Throughout the course, we ask how the social institution and power of science itself is affected by social categories. We also investigate alternative approaches to the construction of knowledge. Jill Schneiderman. 

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

  • STS 278 - Environmental Political Thought

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ENST 278  and POLI 278 ) In the current, urgent context of eco-catastrophe, the high-stakes question of how to rethink the human and the nonhuman arises (together, in relation with one another, entangled as they are, distinct as they might be…). Many theorists from myriad disciplines and multidisciplinary areas have taken on this question, some stressing the “intrinsic value” of the natural world, some proclaiming the end of nature, some critiquing the concept of Nature as so all-encompassing that it inevitably allows human claims to mastery of the nonhuman. Though this course cannot exhaustively survey all these approaches, we will explore some of the key contemporary debates (regarding mass extinction, Gaia theories, the oft-cited “Anthropocene”) pertaining to deep ecology, social and political ecology, de-growth theory, object-oriented ontology, speculative realism, environmental justice, posthumanism, ecofeminism, (feminist) new materialisms. Claire Sagan.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 279 - Pandemic, Politics and Theory

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as POLI 279 ) Who knew that a virus could so radically interrupt, accelerate, damage, mobilize humans and nonhumans? In a context which reads increasingly like a tragic dystopia, this course explores theoretical texts that engage the current pandemic and its effects on power, discipline, and control. We discuss how the virus has transformed our relationship to temporality, the recognition and erasure of care work, the microbe’s relation to ecology and disaster capitalism, the pandemic’s effects on borders, immunity, community, and confinement, masks, faces and screens, mutual aid and abandonment, neoliberal austerity and public health, epidemiology and epistemology, the unknown and uncertainty, etc. Slavoj Zizek immediately described the “PANdemIC” as “a moment when the greatest act of love is to stay distant from the object of your affection.” While Paul Preciado has argued that the lockdown has entrenched a biopolitics of “pharmacopornographic production,” Nick Mirzoeff has described New York City as a “necropolis” that should be transformed into decolonial networks of care. Wendy Brown, Lauren Berlant, Brian Massumi each reflected upon the quarantine. We attempt to ride the prolific wave of writings that came out of COVID19 and its biopolitics, for collective catharsis and in hopes to be better equipped to face this faceless event.  Claire Sagan.

    One 2-hour period.

    Course Format: INT
  • STS 286 - DNA, Bioethics, and Disruptive Technologies

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    Does our DNA determine our personality, intelligence, and who we will fall in love with? Should our own genetic information be private, or does the government have the right to genetic data? Should new and inexpensive gene manipulation technologies be accessible to anyone? This course examines the diverse ethical, legal, and social issues that have emerged from the study of genetics in the 21st century. We  discuss controversies and challenges raised by genetic technologies such as CRISPR, and consider the future challenges that may arise from the evolving study of genes and genomes. We examine the ethical, legal, and social implications of these topics using multiple frameworks, and also analyze the depiction of genetics in popular culture. Topics may include genetic determinism, the commercialization of genetic information, DNA databases and privacy, forensics, and DIY biohacking. No prior understanding of DNA or genetics is required.  Nancy Jo Pokrywka.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 288 - Machines and Musicians: A Technocultural History from Metronomes to Moby

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)


    (Same as MUSI 288 ) This course explores the often-unacknowledged connections between novel acoustic technologies and vital compositional practices. Through weekly lectures, assignments, and discussions, students consider the ways in which machines have helped to influence certain musical trends from the classical, Romantic, and contemporary eras.

    Some featured clockwork and electronic technologies include Winkel’s Componium, Maelzel’s Panharmonicon, the Welte-Mignon player piano, Cahill’s Telharmonium, the Thereminand the Moog synthesizer. This technocultural survey similarly presents a gamut of musical repertoires: from Haydn’s musical-clock suites to Antheil’s Ballet mécanique; Miles Davis’ synthesized jazz albums to Todd Machover’s recent robotic opera, Death and the Powers; and more.

    In a final project devoted to modern-age sound production, students examine compositions and texts by Schaeffer, Stockhausen, Xenakis, Reich, and Roads. Grading is determined through class participation, a midterm test, a research and analysis project, as well as a listening quiz.

    Prerequisite(s): One unit in one of the following: Music, Science, Technology, and Society; Sociology; or permission of the instructor.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS

  • STS 290 - Community-Engaged Learning

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)
    Course Format: INT
  • STS 298 - Independent Work

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)
    Course Format: OTH

Science, Technology and Society: III. Advanced

  • STS 301 - Senior Seminar

    Semester Offered: Spring
    0.5 unit(s)
    The seminar meets during the first six weeks of the second semester. Senior majors present and defend their senior theses before the student and faculty members of the program. The Department.

    Course Format: INT
  • STS 303 - Senior Thesis

    Semester Offered: Fall
    0.5 unit(s)
    Yearlong senior thesis research and writing. The Department.

    Open only to STS seniors.

    Yearlong course 303 - STS 304.

    One 3-hour period.

    Course Format: INT
  • STS 304 - Senior Thesis

    Semester Offered: Spring
    0.5 unit(s)
    Yearlong senior thesis research and writing. The Department.

    Open only to STS seniors.

    Yearlong course STS 303  - 304.

    One 3-hour period.

    Course Format: INT
  • STS 305 - Senior Thesis

    Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
    1 unit(s)
    One-semester thesis research and writing. Used only for unusual circumstances. Open only to STS seniors.

    Prerequisite(s): Special permission.

    One 3-hour period.

    Course Format: INT
  • STS 307 - Advanced Topics in Health Economics and Policy

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ECON 307 ) A survey of contemporary issues in the economics of health and health policy including a more detailed examination of select issues from ECON 220 /STS 220  and more advanced topics using recent research in health economics. Alicia Atwood.

    Prerequisite(s): ECON 201 ECON 220 /STS 220  and ECON 203  or ECON 210 ; or permission of the instructor.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 311 - Seminar in Cognitive Science


    1 unit(s)


    The topic of the seminar varies regularly, but is always focused on some aspect of thought, language, perception, or action considered from the unique, synthetic perspective of cognitive science. The seminar is taught by faculty members in the program. May be repeated for credit if the topic has changed.

     

    Prerequisite(s): One 200-level Cognitive Science course and permission of the instructor.

    Two 2-hour periods.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

  • STS 323 - History of Geological Thought: 1690-2000

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ESCI 323 ) In this course we examine the historical context and scientific ideas put forth by natural philosophers and scientists including Thomas Burnet, Nicolas Steno, James Hutton, Charles Lyell, Charles Darwin, Alfred Wegener, Marie Tharp, Bruce Heezen, Stephen Jay Gould, Niles Eldredge, Neil Shubin, James Lovelock and Walter Alvarez. Topics of study include geologic time, continental drift and plate tectonics, evolution and punctuated equilibrium, Gaia, and bolide impacts. This intensive requires a one-week field trip to Great Britain in the first week of Spring Break. Jill Schneiderman.

    Prerequisite(s): Must be a science or Science, Technology, and Society major at the sophomore, junior or senior level, or by permission of the instructor.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: INT
  • STS 340 - Controversies in Context: Technoscientific Futures


    1 unit(s)
    Will the CERN particle accelerator in Europe create a mini black hole on earth? What are the intended and unintended consequences of genetic and technological enhancements on humanity? Are we headed towards a technological singularity? Will we colonize other planets? These seem like plot lines ripped from science fiction stories, yet recent advances in scientific knowledge and technological innovation have begun to ripple through societies leaving a trail of confusion, excitement, terror, and controversy. In this seminar, we  grapple with the controversies surrounding humanity’s technoscientific future. Einstein observed that “[s]cience as something existing and complete is the most objective thing known to man. But science in the making, science as an end to be pursued, is as subjective and psychologically conditioned as any other branch of human endeavor.” Our work in this seminar is based on the assumption that science is a human practice and a social phenomenon, and as a result, humanity’s technoscientific future is fundamentally contingent and not predetermined. We engage with scientists, STS scholars and science fiction writers as we reflexively explore our tethered extrapolations of the frontiers of technoscience.  José Perillán.

    Prerequisite(s): STS 200 .

    One 2-hour period.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 345 - Asian Sociotechnical Imaginaries

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as SOCI 345 ) This seminar examines sociotechnical imaginaries in Asia, broadly construed. It investigates how science and technology have shaped—and been shaped by—particular configurations of state-society-market relations, governance strategies (and social push-back against those strategies), and sociopolitical identities at the national, group, and individual level. It examines how science and technology are co-produced with narratives not only of national and personal empowerment, but also entwined with narratives of failure and disillusionment. It also scrutinizes the role of technology—both existent and imagined—in connecting, or detaching, different Asian nations from global markets and international institutions. National contexts include China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Abigail Coplin.

    One 3-hour period.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 352 - Medicine and (Dis)order: A Social Geography of Healthcare


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as GEOG 352 ) The healthcare industry is a central component of the modern world. In the case of the United States, it has co-evolved with capitalism, inequality, mass incarceration, and urbanization-among other phenomena. Using a social and historical geographic lens, this course examines the development of medicine as it relates to these phenomena as well as matters of social difference (e.g., gender, sexuality, class, and race) and associated social struggles. Topics include the development of healthcare institutions and related labor regimes, race and medical experimentation, and transgender identity and the healthcare system. In exploring these topics, the course also engages alternative understandings of health and wellness, and organized efforts “from below” to realize alternative, more democratic forms of healthcare.

    One 3-hour period.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

  • STS 360 - Issues in Bioethics


    1 unit(s)
    One 2-hour period.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 370 - Feminism and Environmentalism

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ENST 370  and WMST 370 )  In this seminar we explore some basic concepts and approaches within feminist environmental analysis paying particular attention to feminist theory and its relevance to environmental issues. We examine a range of feminist research and analysis in ‘environmental studies’ that is connected by the recognition that gender subordination and environmental destruction are related phenomena. That is, they are the linked outcomes of forms of interactions with nature that are shaped by hierarchy and dominance, and they have global relevance. The course helps students discover the expansive contributions of feminist analysis and action to environmental research and advocacy; it provides the chance for students to apply the contributions of a feminist perspective to their own specific environmental interests. Jill Schneiderman.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor; WMST 130  recommended.

    One 2-hour period.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

  • STS 371 - Gender, Science and Politics


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as POLI 371  and WMST 371 ) In a context that some have described as “post-truth,” and in which “marching for Science” has become a form of resistance to power, there are high stakes behind science literacy. When the climate sciences are helping us understand our ecological condition, yet climatology and the new discourse of “Anthropocene” also has begun legitimizing fantasies of geoengineering the Earth, what would a feminist climatology look like? In today’s digital age, when boundaries between real/unreal, physical/virtual, human/natural, female/male seem to collapse all around us, should we, more-than-women and more-than-men espouse our new cyborg selves, or cling to an image of women-as-goddesses oh-so-close to nature, and to images of men as taming, mastering, dominating nature? What are some alternatives beyond these possibilities? This course critically engages the sciences from a feminist theoretical perspective. We  examine the ”situated” nature of scientific knowledge, against the positivist grain of scientific claims to Truth and objectivity. We also examine how feminist theorists have drawn from some dissensual and innovative scientific theories of late, to inspire provocative arguments about the environment, ontology, and normativity. Claire Sagan.

    One 2-hour period.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

  • STS 375 - Gender, Race, and Science


    1 unit(s)
    Not offered in 2020/21.

  • STS 376 - Ecological Catastrophe and Nietzsche’s Eternal Return

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as POLI 376 and ENST 376) This course explores several sorts of texts together, for thought experiments pertaining to our times of ecological catastrophe. We  critically engage: 1) theories concerned with ecological collapse, extinction, catastrophism, and the oft-cited and ill-named Anthropocene 2) literature on Nietzsche within environmental political thought 3) literature on Nietzsche and gender 4) selected primary texts by Nietzsche. Examining the latter in close readings and in the context of our compromised ecological futures, we ask ourselves to what extent the Nietzschean concepts of “eternal return” and “will to power” may help us think in these troubled times: what would a feminist Nietzschean ecology look like? Claire Sagan.

    One 2-hour period.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 383 - Traditional Medicine Systems

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as BIOL 383 ) There have been age long debate about the veracity of traditional medicine. This class focuses on the concept/issues surrounding some traditional medicine systems and the use of food as therapeutic agents. Topics include a holistic study of the following traditional medicine system: Traditional African medicine, Native American traditional medicine, Chinese traditional medicine (TCM), Ayurveda, medicine and faith in Christianity, Traditional Arabic & Islamic Medicine (TAIM) and the use of edible substances (lemon, ginger, onion, garlic, pomegranate, elderberry, honey, fermented foods, aloe vera and herbs) as therapeutic agents.  The Department.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 384 - Strategic Thinking in Global Health

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    This course seeks to equip students with knowledge and skills to understand current global health challenges in their historical context. We begin with the emergence of international health and humanitarian efforts in the wake of World War I and track various conflicts in approaches in the post-World War II era. Students  also develop the capacity to frame problems, understand root causes of problems, develop and analyze strategic alternatives, and communicate recommended strategies to a variety of audiences engaged in global health. Assignments include weekly reading and discussion, small group strategy brief presentations, and an individual paper on a relevant topic selected by the student and approved by the instructor. Elizabeth Bradley.

    Prerequisite(s): One unit of social science or one unit in Science, Technology, and Society and permission of the instructor.

    Open to Juniors and Seniors only.

    One 3-hour period.

    Course Format: CLS
  • STS 393 - Special Topics in Biology

    Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
    0.5 1 unit(s)


    A variety of current and timely topics in Biology is considered by these intensive mentored experiences. Each of these involve close mentored work in small groups of students around a key topic in biology. A variety of formats is used, including field experiences, field trips, different types of media and different approaches. Topics and instructors vary each semester. 

    Topic One. Biology in the Community: Public Health. (Same as BIOL 393 ) Students partner with staff at the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (or another local public health organization) to identify a current public health issue, design and execute an intervention, and assess its effectiveness. Supplemental readings are required in order to provide a framework to successfully engage with the community and complete the work. In addition, weekly group meetings encourage students to formulate and refine goals and to actively monitor the proposed initiative to help the Department or organization realize its vision. Leroy Cooper.

    Topic Two. Investigating chronic disease. (0.5 unit, ungraded) (Same as BIOL 393 ) An examination of ME/CFS, a chronic disease with an unknown cause, no known biomarkers, and no specific treatments. We explore recent research to identify the underlying basis of the disease and explore the historical and social factors that underlie the stigmatization and insufficient understanding of the disease. Students develop projects that support patients, researchers, and/or physicians. David Esteban.

     

     

    Prerequisite(s): Vary by topic.

    One 2-hour period.

    Course Format: INT

  • STS 394 - Philosophy of Mental Illness


    0.5 unit(s)
    (Same as PHIL 394 ) This interdisciplinary intensive focuses on two main issues: psychopathological categorization and diagnosis, and ethical issues that surround categorization, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders. We will ask questions such as: what are the biological, physical, sociological, and individual characteristics that do influence, and which are the characteristics that should or should not influence, psychopathological taxonomy and diagnosis? What can we learn about mental illness from the disability rights movement? And are current treatment options the optimal approach for general and particular mental illnesses? After an initial seminar-style period of common reading and discussion, students will be expected to pursue individual research projects that may involve a short-term production or creative component, with instructor approval. Sofia Ortiz-Hinojosa.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.

    One 3-hour period.

    Not offered in 2020/21.

    Course Format: INT
  • STS 399 - Senior Independent Work

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)
    Course Format: OTH