C8889 - Introduction to Social Studies of Science and Technology (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course introduces Science and Technology Studies (STS), which emerged in the second half of the twentieth century within Anglo-American and Franco-Dutch contexts. STS has roots in Pragmatism, interactionist and ethnomethodological sociology, and the anthropology of the laboratory and technology. STS aims to overcome both technological and social determinism. At the end of the course, students: 1. Know the main theories, concepts and approaches developed by STS; 2. Can compare them analytically and discuss which is more appropriate for different cases of application; 3. Understand the issues of materiality, governance inscribed in materiality, and their social and philosophical implications; 4. Know the main research methods in STS and have developed methodological experience in designing an STS research; 5. Have conducted empirical research in group on a case study of their choice.

Course contents

The course provides an introduction to the social studies of science and technology (STS). STS are a long-standing research field which has developed perspectives to address scientific and technological development by using epistemologies, heuristic tools and methods from ethnography, sociology, history, philosophy and semiotics. The course draws the roots of the field on R. Merton’s sociology of science and T. Kuhn’s structure of scientific revolutions, to then focus on the Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK), the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) and Actor-Network Theory (ANT).

These approaches are studied with the support of hands-on exercises and empirical case studies (weeks 1-4).

In the last week we will address some sociopolitical implications of data infrastructures. All these topics are tackled by reading, presenting and commenting leading international literature and empirical case studies.

Throughout the course, some interactive moments are devoted to developing empirical research design skills, ranging from research question design to research methodologies. Such moments are finalized to support the STS research design to be submitted as part of the course assessment.

Week 1 – Merton and the Sociology of Science, Kuhn and the Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Week 2 – The Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK

Week 3 - The Social Construction of Technology (SCOT)

Week 4 – Actor-Network Theory (ANT), or the sociology of translation

Week 5 – Data infrastructures, standards, classifications

 

Prerequisites: none in particular beyond knowledge of English, but curiosity about technoscientific dynamics and an interest in engaging in empirical research in a group setting.

Readings/Bibliography

The syllabus is compulsory for both attending and non attending students, and is made of journal articles and book chapters. They are all available on Virtuale or through the UniBO digital library (AlmaRE). See Virtuale for syllabus details and copies of the material.

Week 1 – Introduction; Merton and the Sociology of Science; Kuhn and the Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Merton, R. (1942) “A Note on Science and Technology in a Democratic Order”.

Sismondo, S. (2010), Chapter 3 “Questioning Functionalism in the Sociology of Science”, in An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies (Vol. 1). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Kuhn, T. (1962), The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Chapter 9. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press.

Sismondo, S. (2010) Chapter 2 “The Kuhnian Revolution”, in An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies (Vol. 1). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

 

Week 2 – The Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK)

Bloor, David (1976), Knowledge and Social Imagery, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Pp: 3-13

Law, J. 2015. "STS as Method". Department of Sociology, the Open University. 

Week 3 - The Social Construction of Technology (SCOT)

Pinch, T. J., & Bijker, W. E. (1984) “The Social Construction of Facts and Artefacts: or How the Sociology of Science and the Sociology of Technology might Benefit Each Other”. Social Studies of Science, 14(3), 399–441

Bijker, W.E. (1987) “The social construction of Bakelite: Toward a theory of invention”. In Bijker, W.E., Hughes, T.P. E Pinch, T.J. (Eds.) The social construction of technological systems: New directions in the sociology and history of technology. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, pp. 159-187.

 

Week 4 – Actor-Network Theory (ANT), or the sociology of translation

Callon, M. (1986). “Some elements of a sociology of translation: domestication of the scallops and the fishermen of St Brieuc Bay”. In Law, J. Power, Action and Belief. London: Routledge, pp.196-223.

Latour, B. (1992). “Where are the missing masses? The sociology of a few mundane artifacts”. In: Bijker W.E. and Law J. (Eds.), Shaping Technology/ Building Society. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, pp. 225–258.

Law, J. (2007). “Actor Network Theory and Material Semiotics”. Version of 25th April 2007. Available at http://www.heterogeneities.net/publications/Law2007ANTandMaterialSemiotics.pdf

 

Week 5 – Data infrastructures, standards, classifications

Mandatory readings:

Edwards, P. et al. (2026) “Infrastructures,” in U. Felt and A. Irwin (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Science & Technology Studies. Edward Elgar.

Barry, A. (2020). The material politics of infrastructure. In TechnoScienceSociety: Technological reconfigurations of science and society (pp. 91-109). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Timmermans, S., & Epstein, S. (2010). A world of standards but not a standard world: Toward a sociology of standards and standardization. Annual review of Sociology, 36 (1), 69-89.

Bowker, G.C. and Star, S.L. (1999). Sorting Things Out. Cambridge, MA: The MIT press, pp. 1-50.

 

Additional readings

On the politics of data classifications:

Bjørn, P. and E. Balka (2007). Health Care Categories have Politics too: Unpacking the Managerial Agendas of Electronic Triage Systems. ECSCW 2007. L. Bannon, I. Wagner, C. Gutwin, R. Harper and K. Schmidt, Springer: 371-390.

Pelizza, A. and Van Rossem, W. (2023), ‘Scripts of alterity: Mapping assumptions and limitations of the border security apparatus through classification schemas [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01622439231195955] ’, Science, Technology and Human Values 49(4): 794-826.

 

 

Teaching methods

The teaching style favors interactivity. Classes include lectures by the teacher, presentations by students, group work, case study analyses, class exercises and discussions. Peer feedback will be key to support these activities. 

The aim of the class presentations is threefold: 1) to support and develop students’ understanding of the literature; 2) to support and develop students’ analytical and research skills before the formal evaluation; 3) to foster peer-learning.

To achieve these goals, the draft reports that are to be submitted for the final evaluation will be preliminary and collectively discussed in class (see assessment methods).

Assessment methods

The learning process is assessed for both attending and non-attending students against two written texts. The first consists in a comparative analysis of a given case study using SCOT and ANT. The second consists in an STS empirical research design. Drafts of both texts are preliminarily and collectively discussed in class.

Both papers must be submitted in the same exam session, as indicated below.

The grade is expressed as 30/30: 50% of the assessment is made up of the first deliverable, and 50% of the assessment is made up of the second deliverable. The maximum score achievable is therefore 30 cum laude. The exam is considered passed with a minimum score of 18/30.

During the 2026/2027 academic year, assignments are scheduled for delivery in the following months:

- October 2026 (both assignments, staggered deliveries on the 18th and 25th) for all students (via Virtuale) - suggested

- November 2026 (both assignments, staggered deliveries on the 22th and 29th) for all students (via Virtuale) - suggested

- December 13th, 2026 (both assignments, joint delivery) (via Virtuale)

- April 2027, 30th (both assignments, joint delivery) 

- September 2027, 30th  (both assignments, joint delivery)  

- October 2027 (both assignments, joint delivery)

 

Guidelines for Using GenIA

When used with awareness of its working, AI can be a tool to support individual learning and self-assessment. Regarding learning assessment (e.g., exams), limited, declared, and non-substantial use of AI is only allowed for support activities (editing, rephrasing). Substantial use to pursue the analytical goals of the exam is not allowed. Declaration should specify the GenAI model and the prompts used.

 

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities:

it is recommended to contact the relevant University office in advance (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ). The office will be responsible for proposing any necessary adjustments to the interested students. These adjustments must, however, be submitted at least 15 days in advance for approval by the instructor, who will assess their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

Classes are conducted in presence: computer with video beamer and digital whiteboard, Virtuale for syllabus and additional material to use in class and as take-home assignments.

The teaching material consists of the syllabus, the lectures prepared by the teacher, the material proposed by students and the case studies proposed by the teacher. When not protected by copyright, the teaching material is made available to students through the Virtuale [http://virtuale.unibo.it] teaching platform of the University of Bologna. Copyrighted texts in the syllabus are available at the FILO library and at other libraries of the University of Bologna.

Office hours

See the website of Annalisa Pelizza