SOCb2517 Introduction to Science and Technology Studies

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. Róbert Braun (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Csaba Szaló, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Csaba Szaló, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Fri 24. 10. 10:00–14:00 M011, 14:00–17:40 P21b, Fri 14. 11. 10:00–17:40 U34, Fri 28. 11. 10:00–17:40 U34
Prerequisites (in Czech)
TYP_STUDIA(B)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 9/25, only registered: 0/25, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
This course is an introductory course in Science and Technology studies. It will focus on what technology means in our current societies from a constructivist perspective and how social responsibility is understood in a technoscience context. The main focus is on the socio-political nature of technology. It will take as its starting point Martin Heidegger’s famous text on ‘The question concerning technology’ and show how a new understanding of technology and its embeddedness in social affairs in the second half of the 20th century emerged. The course will offer an introduction to by now classic texts and authors of STS, including Winner, Bijker, Latour and Jasanoff. From this theoretical grounding the course will look at ‘automobility’ as a specific sociotechnical setup and present how this sociotechnical frame is understood by a variety of scholars – as ‘system’, ‘regime’, ‘dispositif’ or ‘imaginary’. This will lead us to the introduction of yet another concept – the Anthropocene which offers a different explanatory tool to understand automobility and sociotechnical setups in general. The course will conclude with an analysis and discussion of what this means for the current time of technology transitions, including autonomous mobility, artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
Learning outcomes
Students after completing this course will: Have a general awareness of what the relationship of technology and society is Understand the concept of STS (Science and Technology studies) SCOT (The social construction of technology) Sociotechnical imaginaries RRI (Responsible Research and Innovation) Societal Readiness The relationship of these concepts to the philosophy of science and sociology Understand the concept and methodology of social phenomenology Have sufficient knowledge of different conceptualizations of technology, of automobility, of research and innovation Have practice in theoretical argumentation, understanding complex sociotechnical problems and conceptualizations.
Syllabus
  • The dates of the classes are:
  • 24 Oktober 2025: 10:00 – 16:45
  • 14 November: 10:00 – 16:45
  • 28 November: 10:00 – 16:45
  • Session 1: Society, science & technology 10:00-11:30 Introduction: theoretical foundations – history of science, phenomenology, ethnomethodology, laboratory studies 11:45:13:15 What is science? Reading: Kuhn The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, pp. 111-135 13:45-15:15 What is technology? Reading: Heidegger: The Question Concerning Technology 15:30-16:45 What is STS (Society and Technology Studies)? Reading: Latour, B.: Technology is society made durable Q&A
  • Session 2: Automobility as case study 10:00-11:30 What are sociotechnical systems? Reading: Bijker: Of bycicles, bakelites and bulbs (an introduction) 11:45:13:15 What is the concept of the car? Reading: Sheller: The city and the car 13:45-15:15 Automobility as ‘system’ & ‘regime’ and its social consequences Reading: Urry: The system of automobility 15:15:16:45 Automobility & policy Reading: Braun-Randell: Automobility violence: the case for adopting tobacco public health policies, In.: Applied Mobilities Q&A
  • Session 3: STS and real life 10:00-11:30 Science and science policy Reading: Polanyi, Michael: The Republic of Science 11:45:13:15 Technology and politics Reading: Braun-Randell: Post-Automobility - introduction 13:45-15:15 Quantum theory and the social world Reading: Labatut: When we ceased to understand the world 15:15:16:45 Biopolitics & AI Reading: Braun: AI as the Naive Intelligibility of the Artificial, In.: TAO Closing & summary
Literature
  • See the course outline in the Study materials of the course in the ISMU
Teaching methods
The course will be presented in 3 blocks, each with four 90 minutes session. During the classes we will have classroom education combined with walkshops in the city to get a first hand experience of the techno-real. Each day will start at 10:00 am and finish at 16:45. All readings will be made available through cloud. Class participation is obligatory as this is a block course.
Assessment methods
Mode of instruction will be seminar format. Students will have to write one short comparative essay (LLM vs own+analysis) and a final course paper (should one use LLM, prompt question and human oversight should be addressed and analysed critically). The short essay reflect some current sociotechnical challenge, addressed via learnings acquired in the course (250-500 words); the final paper will address a specific question within the realm of STS and analyze it according to general academic practice, based on literature review and secondary research (but not independent primary research) (2500-3000 words).
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2025/SOCb2517