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Spring 2011

The Sociology of Knowledge, Science, &


Scientific Knowledge
SOC 176 / STS 176

COURSE INFORMATION:
Instructor: Brian Dick, PhD E-mail: bddick@ucdavis.edu
Office: SSH 252 Office Hours: TR 3:00-4:30; by appt.
Classroom: WELLMAN 1 Class time: TR 4:40-6:00pm
CRN# 53377 4 Units of Credit

Reader: Miguel Ruiz E-mail: maruiz@ucdavis.edu


Office: SSH 290 Office Hours: T 1-2pm; R 2-3pm; by appt.

FOCUS AND SCOPE OF THE COURSE:


Robert K. Merton has defined the sociology of knowledge as “primarily concerned with the
relations between knowledge and other existential factors in the society and culture.” Thus, this
course will explore the relationship between thought and social organization. The first half of the
course will begin by carefully exploring classical statements on the sociology of knowledge—
Marx, Durkheim, and Mannheim—before turning to the works of Ludwik Fleck and Thomas
Kuhn. The second half of the course will focus on what has broadly come to be known as science
and technology studies. This will entail looking at the strong program in the sociology of
knowledge, laboratory studies, and the study of scientific controversies. The course will conclude
with an examination of expertise and the public understand of science.

The primary goal of this course is to introduce students to the sociological study of scientific
knowledge through a careful reading and discussion of primary texts.

Course work includes three (5-6 page) papers, reading responses, and class participation.

REQUIRED TEXTS:
• Harry M. Collins. 1992. Changing Order: Replication and Induction in Scientific
Practice. 2nd Ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 0-226-11376-0.
• Ludwik Fleck. 1981. Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact. Thaddeus J. Trenn
and Robert K. Merton. Eds. Fred Bradley and Thaddeus J. Trenn. Trans. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press. 0-226-25325-2
• Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar. 1986. Laboratory Life: The Construction of Scientific
Facts. 2nd Ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 0-691-02832-X
• Thomas Kuhn. 1970. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. 2nd Ed. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press. 0-226-45804-0.
• Other course readings will be available on smartsite.

1
GRADING:
Your capacity to read, write, and take notes at the upper-division college level is assumed. This
course is based on UCD’s adherence to the Carnegie Rule, which affirms that you should expect
to engage in 3 hours of course work each week for 1 unit of credit. Thus, for this 4 unit class you
can expect each week to engage in 4 hours of classroom lectures and discussion, and 8 hours of
reading, writing, studying, and other work outside the classroom. Course grading will be based on
general standards of university competency.

All scoring will be numerical: 90-100% = A (97-100 = A+; 93-96.5 = A; 90-92.5 = A-);
80-89.5% = B; 70-79.5% = C; 60-69.5% = D; 59.5% or lower = F. The course reader will be
responsible for grading the papers and exams.

Grade components are as follows:

Three Papers (75%)


You are expected to write three (5-6 page) papers (25% each) based upon the course readings.
You must turn in two hard-copies of your paper on the day they are due.

Reading Responses (15%)


Each day of class dedicated to discussion of the readings (see reading syllabus below), you are
expected bring in a 1-2 page response to the readings done since the previous discussion. The
reading responses consist of two parts: a.) Your response to three of the reading questions
provided by the instructor; b.) three quotes from the reading that you find particularly insightful.

Class Participation (10%)


You are expected to participate fully in class discussion and come prepared with notes on the
readings for the days dedicated to discussion.

COURSE POLICIES:
General: To succeed in this course it is essential that you attend all of the classes, complete all of
the reading in a timely fashion, carefully craft your essays, and participate fully in discussion.

Professional Norms: Please do not come to class late, do not leave or prepare to leave until the
class is completely finished, turn off your cell phones, and do not talk when others are.

Excused Absences: If you have an excusable reason for missing a class or need additional
accommodations, such as participation in sports or special needs based on a disability, please
inform me as soon as this comes to your attention. Please be prepared to bring in the relevant
documentation (doctor’s excuse, etc.) accounting for your absence or other needs.

Late papers: Will be accepted, but will be docked 5% each day they are late. No papers will be
accepted later than the day of the final exam.

Academic Honesty & Integrity: Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty
will not be tolerated. All suspected incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported to Judicial
Affairs immediately.

2
IMPORTANT DATES:
4/26: Paper #1 Due
5/17: Paper #2 Due
6/4: Paper #3 Due

Reading Syllabus
Please Note:
Ø Readings should be done before the date they are listed under.
Ø [CR] = Course Reading Posted on Smartsite.

WEEK 1
(3/29) Lecture: Introduction to the Course

(3/31) Lecture: Problems in the History and Philosophy of Science

WEEK 2
(4/5) Lecture: Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Karl Mannheim
[CR]: Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. 1845-6/1972. The German Ideology. In Robert C.
Tucker. The Marx-Engels Reader. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 110-39.
[CR]: Emile Durkheim. 1912/1955. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. Trans. By
Karen E. Fields. New York: The Free Press, 1-18, 418-48 (skim: 418-33).
[CR]: Karl Mannheim. 1936/1985. Ideology and Utopia. New York: Harcourt Brace &
Company, 264-311 (skim: 290-311).

(4/7) Discussion: Classical statements

WEEK 3
(4/12) Lecture: Robert K. Merton and the Sociology of Science
[CR]: Robert K. Merton. 1973. The Sociology of Science. Norman W. Storer. Ed.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, “Science and the Social Order,” [1938], 254-66;
“The Normative Structure of Science,” [1942], 265-78; “Priorities in Scientific
Discovery,” [1957], 286-324; “The Mathew Effect in Science,” [1968], 439-59.

(4/14) Discussion: Merton’s Sociology of Science

WEEK 4
(4/19) Lecture: Stratification and Discrimination in Science
Ludwik Fleck. 1981. Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact. Thaddeus J. Trenn
and Robert K. Merton. Eds. Fred Bradley and Thaddeus J. Trenn. Trans. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, Ch. 1-3, pp. 1-81 (skim: 52-75).

(4/21) Discussion: Ludwik Fleck

3
WEEK 5
(4/26) Discussion: Ludwik Fleck
Ludwik Fleck. 1981. Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact. Thaddeus J. Trenn
and Robert K. Merton. Eds. Fred Bradley and Thaddeus J. Trenn. Trans. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, Ch. 4 & Descriptive Analysis, pp. 82-165 (skim: 125-141).

**Paper #1 Due**

(4/28) Lecture: Thomas Kuhn: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions


Thomas Kuhn. 1962/1970. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. 2nd Ed. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, Ch. 1-4, pp. 1-42.

WEEK 6
(5/3) Discussion: Thomas Kuhn
Thomas Kuhn. 1962/1970. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. 2nd Ed. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, Ch. 5-9, pp. 43-110.

(5/5) Discussion: Thomas Kuhn


Thomas Kuhn. 1962/1970. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. 2nd Ed. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, Ch. 9-13 & Postscript, pp. 111-210.

WEEK 7
(5/10) Lecture: The Strong Program and the Sociology of Scientific Knowledge
[CR]: David Bloor. 1991. Science and Social imagery. 2nd Ed. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 3-8, 46-54.

[CR]: Barnes, Barry and David Bloor. (1982). “Relativism, Rationalism and the
Sociology of Knowledge.” In Rationality and Relativism. Martin Hollis and S. Lukes.
Eds. Oxford: Blackwell: 21-47.

(5/12) Lecture: Laboratory Studies


Bruno Latour and Thomas Woolgar. Laboratory Life: The Construction of Scientific
Facts. 2nd Ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, Ch. 1, pp. 15-42.

WEEK 8

(5/17) Discussion: The Strong Program and Laboratory Studies


Bruno Latour and Thomas Woolgar. Laboratory Life: The Construction of Scientific
Facts. 2nd Ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, Ch. 2, pp. 43-90, Ch. 4, pp. 151-
86 (skim: Ch. 3, pp. 91-150).

**Paper #2 Due**

4
(5/19) Discussion: Laboratory Studies
Bruno Latour and Thomas Woolgar. Laboratory Life: The Construction of Scientific
Facts. 2nd Ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, Ch. 5, pp. 187-234, Ch. 6, pp.
235-62.

WEEK 9
(5/24) Lecture: Scientific Controversies
Harry M. Collins. 1992. Changing Order: Replication and Induction in Scientific
Practice. 2nd Ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, Introduction & Ch. 1-3, pp. 1-78.

(5/26) Discussion: Scientific Controversies

WEEK 10
(5/31) Lecture: Expertise and the Public Understanding of Science
Harry M. Collins. 1992. Changing Order: Replication and Induction in Scientific
Practice. 2nd Ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, Ch. 4-6 & Postscript, pp. 79-168.

(6/2) Discussion & Conclusion: Scientific Controversies (Continued)

FINAL EXAM: (6/4) 1:00pm


Paper number three must be physically brought to my office (SSH 252) between 1 and
2pm.

**Paper #3 Due**

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