90061 - History, Science and Society (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course addresses the interactions between science and society in modern and contemporary times from a transdisciplinary perspective. At the end of the course the students will have: – conducted an in-depth exploration of historical cases and contemporary data; – learned to assess the sources and use the critical tools to address these themes independently.

Course contents

Women, Gender, and Science

From the Enlightenment to the present

After an introduction to society, science and technology studies (STS), in this course we investigate some controversial aspects of the interactions between gender and science in contemporary and recent times.

We will also explore the history of the relationships between women and men in science and its institutions in the last century and a half. As part of this focus we will examine in depth the life and work of geneticist Barbara McClintock (1902-1992), 1983 Nobel prize winner in physiology/medicine.

The controversial case of McClintock will pave the way for comparative incursions into different ways of knowing nature and constructing knowledge developed by present-day and past scientists - men and women -, including in relation to gender issues.

We will start from the present, delving into a number of cutting-edge laboratories where the social sciences and concept of gender have contributed to launching new fields of research in medicine, genetics and neuroscience, but also primatology, advanced technologies and more.

We will explore why the concept of gender has entered these laboratories, successfully guiding research, but female scientists - judging by the findings of the main international scientific agencies - still seem to struggle, a great deal and everywhere, to achieve recognition for their work.

Lessons will start on 24 November (room D, via Zamboni, 34):

Tuesday 5:00-7:00 pm

Wednesday 5:00-7:00 pm

Thursday 11:00-1:00 am

 

Readings/Bibliography

The program is the same for attending and non attending students, including students of the Erasmus program.

1. Evelyn Fox Keller, A Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock. Freeman, 1983.

2. P. Govoni, Che cos’è la storia della scienza, Roma, Carocci, 2019 [new enlarged ed.].

3. Texts and PowerPoints posted (during the course) on the e-learning platform, including:

- Bruno Latour, Science in Action, Harvard UP, 1988, Introduction and Chap. 1;

- M. W. Rossiter, “The Matthew Matilda Effect in Science”, in Social Studies of Science, 1993, pp. 325–342;

- G. Pomata, “Risposta a Pigmalione. Le origini della storia delle donne alla London School of Economics”, in Quaderni Storici, 2, 2002, pp. 505˗544;

– P. Findlen, La Maestra di Bologna: Laura Bassi, una donna del Settecento in cattedra, in Le eredi di Laura Bassi. Docenti e ricercatrici in Italia tra età moderna e presente, a cura di M. Cavazza, P. Govoni e T. Pironi, Milano, Angeli, 2014, pp. 63-95

Teaching methods

An active participation is highly recommended.

Lectures will be alternated by one field trip.

1. To encourage the personal work  and the discussion, those who attend can deepen - individually or in groups of two - a topic related to the course.   With this work up to 5 points can be achieved;

2. At the end of the course, students who attended the lessons will be able to take a written pre-exam on class discussions and on the field experiences (up to a maximum of 5 points).

Assessment methods

Oral exam: this consists of two or three questions, stemming from a freely chosen topic.

Students will be tested on their knowledge of the course’s bibliography, as well as on their ability to reason in a logical, concise and personal way.

The accuracy and precision of the student’s way of expression will also be taken in consideration.

For further information, please consult my teaching website and the educational guidelines here (Regolamento didattico).

Teaching tools

PowerPoint; e-learning tools; science museums.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Govoni