Inter-college faculty Seminar in Humanities and Sciences (ISHS)

A forum for discussion and interaction among faculty at UMass-Boston. Faculty from different disciplines and colleges come together to focus on topics of common interest, exchange ideas, renew their intellectual energy, and advance their work in a spirit of adventure and collaboration.

Spring '07 - Placing science and technology in social context

Who makes sense of developments in science and technology (S&T) and their historical precursors? We hear these days not only the explanations of scientists and engineers, but also interpretations from history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, public policy, psychology, literary analysis.... Since the early 1980s newspaper journalism on S&T, television documentaries, and book publishing have flourished. Activists and citizen scientists have also gained a voice in discussions about the direction of S&T, especially since the late 1960s. Into this mix we can add claims in the late 1990s that humanistic and social scientific studies of S&T contribute to "anti-science" sentiments. But then we can also point to scholars interpreting science in its social context formulating perspectives unavailable to, or underdeveloped by, scientists, and, on this basis, making contributions valued by scientists to discussions about developments in S&T.
How can we make sense for our students and other audiences of the social shaping of S&T as well as the wide-ranging discussions about S&T? What new angles of interpretation might influence future inquiries and engagements on S&T in context? What is our picture of the evolving web of science?
Depending on the interests of participants such issues and the overall theme of the seminar can be pulled in many directions. We look forward to the cross-disciplinary links, new friendships, and actions that grow out of the seminar discussions.

Particpants

Prassede Calabi

Gordon Corzine, Management Science and Information Systems
My interest is generally around the impact of S&T on culture. Whether it is cell phones in poor rural areas of Asia or the impact on language and communication of Wikis, Blogs, etc. I think there is a particular impact in the Muslim world that we need to better understand.

Laura L. Hansen, Sociology
My current areas of research interest (some in collaboration with Theodora Welch, College of Management) include social networks in the biotech industry and the medical profession, with the core focuses being corporate governance, malfeasance, and crime. Because my work dovetails with the science community, I look forward to making contacts with faculty in the College of Science and Mathematics.

Scott Maisano, English
Looking at renaissance literature's references to automatons has led to connections with the history of artificial intelligence/life communities.

Arthur Millman, Philosophy

Louise Penner, English

Robert Stevenson, Biology
Biophysical ecology -> issues of instrumentation (esp. in understudied coastal environments) -> environmental informatics (and issues of making sci. knowledge available to others)

Peter Taylor, Director, Science, Technology & Values & Graduate Program in Critical & Creative Thinking
His work links conceptual and practical responses to, broadly speaking, complexity and change. Until recently he has drawn his case studies primarily from ecology and socio-environmental research. Now taking these interests in new directions through engagement with various social epidemiological approaches that address the intersections of environment, health, and development.


Session times and topics

Biweekly on Tuesdays from 9.45am-11.15am, W-4-174 (COSMIC seminar room*)

9.45-11.15 Tu 1/30, Introductions: How each us became interested in "placing science and technology in social context"
PLUS Peter led a discussion of the start of a video of Donna Haraway interpreting National Geographic on primates

9.45-11.15 Tu 2/13, More introductions and continuation of discussion of a video of Donna Haraway interpreting National Geographic on primates

9.45-11.15 Tu 2/27, Rob S. leads discussion of Fleck, Genesis and development of a a scientific fact, chapter 1

9.45-11.15 Tu 3/13, Rob S. builds on last discussion re: his Global carbon cycle education project

9.45-11.15 Tu 3/27, Gordon leads discussion of Peter Bernstein's history of risk.

9.45-11.15 Tu 4/10, Laura Hansen on biotech networks (with flash presentation of A. Akera c/o PT)

9.45-11.15 Tu 4/24, Scott Maisano's book prospectus

9.45-11.15 Tu 5/8 Continuation of last discussion; Peter leads discussion of Gary Werskey's 'A Marxist Critique of Capitalist Science: A History in Three Movements' First Movement: The British Scientific Left, 1931-1956 Second Movement: Radical Science, 1968-1988 Third Movement: Play It Again, Sam? http://human-nature.com/science-as-culture/werskey.html; Review of semester (including Critical Incident Questionnaire)

* Continued use of this room depends on us putting it back in its original configuration after the seminars and the COSMIC staff not having to clean up.

Last update 19 May 07.