1 Contact details

Science and Technology Studies @ Edinburgh (STS@Ed) is a network of research and teaching spanning several different departments and units in the Social Sciences Faculty. This network includes the Science Studies Unit (SSU) which pioneered research in the sociology of scientific knowledge from its establishment in 1966. Today the Unit is an interdisciplinary group of five academic staff, who combine expertise in the philosophy, history and sociology of science and medicine, and work mostly but not exclusively in a sociology of scientific knowledge perspective. In addition, there is a strong base of socioeconomic research on technology at Edinburgh, involving around ten academic staff from Edinburgh's Research Centre for Social Sciences (RCSS), the Technology Management and Policy Programme (TechMaPP) in the Department of Business Studies, the Institute for Japanese-European Technology Studies (JETS) and the Department of Sociology. A central concern is with the 'social shaping of technology' in diverse settings, integrating economic and sociological perspectives. Much of this work has a particular interest in the nature and role of expertise in sociotechnical processes, and much though not all of it addresses issues of innovation management and policy.

principal members of staff

David Bloor (Director, SSU) - philosophical and other aspects of the sociology of scientific knowledge, aeronautical engineering

Simon Collinson (Assistant Director, JETS) - technology and development, management of innovation in Japanese electronics firms, including cooperation

Wendy Faulkner (Senior Lecturer, SSU) - gender, science and technology, including gender in engineering, and knowledge flows in industrial innovation

James Fleck (Professor, Management School; Founder Director TechMaPP) - robotics, artificial intelligence, integrated automation, expertise issues

Martin Fransman (Professor, Department of Economics; Director, JETS) - IT, telecommunications and biotechnology industries in Japan, the new Pacific NICs

Ian Graham (Lecturer, Business Studies) - total quality management, EDI

John Henry (Senior Lecturer, SSU) - history of science, the origins of modern science and the role of magical and religious world views in the development of scientific knowledge

Katherine Hill (Lecturer, SSU) - history and philosophy of mathematics, early modern British science, gender and science, historical sociology of scientific knowledge

Donald MacKenzie (Professor, Sociology) - historical sociology of S&T, including statistics, nuclear guidance systems, supercomputers and formal methods in computing

Alfonso Molina (Reader, Business Studies; Founder Director TechMaPP) - the microelectronics revolution, sociotechnical constituencies, microprocessors, multimedia

Graham Spinardi (Senior Research Fellow, RCSS) - military technology, EDI, clean technology, the commercialisation of public sector inventions

Steve Sturdy (Lecturer, SSU) - scientific knowledge and social organisation, the scientisation of medical practice, early 20th century British health policy

Jan Webb (Senior Lecturer, Sociology) - women at work, user-supplier relations in IT, gender and IT

Robin Williams (Reader and Assistant Director RCSS; Coordinator STS@Ed) - occupational hazards, worker participation in and implementation of IT, clean technologies, multimedia
 
 

3 Description of teaching system

There are three postgraduate programmes in science and technology studies at Edinburgh: a MSc in Science and Technology Studies; a Doctoral Programme of Social and Economic Research on Technology; and opportunities for PhDs in the History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science and Medicine. A suite of courses is available, mostly in the Graduate School for Social Sciences, for these postgraduate programmes (there is no distinction between masters and doctoral courses). In addition, undergraduate courses are available in: Science and Society (Oct to mid-May); Technology and Society (Oct to mid-May); History of Science (half course - Oct to end Jan); History of Medicine (half course - end Jan to mid-May). Usually, postgraduate courses involve 5-20 students; undergraduate courses involve 30-200 students.

Exchange students normally select from the menu of postgraduate and honours level undergraduate (final stage of undergraduate degrees) courses in STS, which are listed below. However, supervision for independent work is also possible, subject to staff availability.

The University of Edinburgh has three teaching terms of 10 weeks each - running roughly from October to December, January to March and April to June inclusive. The postgraduate and hnours courses run for 10 weeks in the first and second terms only. (Assessed work is normally due four weeks after the end of term.) Home students typically take three courses per term; exchange students take two or three. Each postgraduate course is worth 6 ECTS units; the undergraduate courses are worth 20 units for a full course.
 
 

4 Information on courses

Social and Economic Perspectives on Technology (core course, term one)

This course aims to provide a solid conceptual grounding in the study of technological change. It signposts major theoretical and empirical work from business management, economics, gender studies, history and sociology, which together provide an appropriate framework and scholarly tools for more detailed investigations of technology in subsequent courses and research.

Course coordinators: W Faulkner, R Williams & A Molina

Level: postgraduate

Workforms: lectures and seminars

Number of formal contact hours: 30

Normalised students study load: 1/3 or 1/2 time (15 -20 hours per week)

Form of assessment: 3-4,000 word essay

Language of instruction: English

Credits: 6

Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (core course, term one)

The course introduces historical and contemporary studies which highlight the social processes that enter into the conduct of scientific enquiry. The phases of observation, interpretation, experimentation, replication and discovery, and instances of scientific conflict are all analysed in this way. The course is grounded in concrete examples of scientific practice.

Course coordinators: D Bloor

Level: postgraduate

Workforms: lectures and seminars

Number of formal contact hours: 30

Normalised students study load: 1/3 or 1/2 time (15 -20 hours per week)

Form of assessment: 3-4,000 word essay

Language of instruction: English

Credits: 6

The Sociology and Politics of Science and Technology (core course, term two)

This course builds on the two first term core courses (SSK and SEPT), extending students' awareness of S&T as social, and hence political, activities. The first half investigates feminist and non-western critiques of science, using the themes of objectivity, trust and persuasion as a framework. The second half extends earlier treatment of the sociology of technology, and investigates issues surrounding popular and governmental control over science and technology.

Course coordinators: K Hill & R Williams

Level: postgraduate

Workforms: lectures and seminars

Number of formal contact hours: 30

Normalised students study load: 1/3 or 1/2 time (15 -20 hours per week)

Form of assessment: 3-4,000 word essay

Language of instruction: English

Credits: 6

The Social Shaping of Information and Communication Technologies (option, term two)

This course explores the relevance of the 'social shaping' framework to contemporary and historical analyses of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), drawing on research expertise at Edinburgh. It is in five blocks: core technologies; industrial applications of ICT; design of ICT; ICT, the individual and society; and promoting and developing new ICTs.

Course coordinators: R Williams

Level: postgraduate

Workforms: lectures and seminars

Number of formal contact hours: 30

Normalised students study load: 1/3 or 1/2 time (15 -20 hours per week)

Form of assessment: 3-4,000 word essay

Language of instruction: English

Credits: 6
 
 

Sociology of the Environment and Risk (option, alternate years - 97/8 on - term two)

This course aims to acquaint students with aspects of the relationship between human societies and their natural environment where a sociological and STS perspective can aid our understanding. Specific sessions address relevant traditions in social theory (eg feminism and Marxism); public perception of risks; social causes of major accidents; the development of 'green' movements; population growth, development and the environment.

Course coordinators: D MacKenzie

Level: undergraduate (honours)

Workforms: lectures and seminars

Number of formal contact hours: 20

Normalised students study load: 1/3 or 1/2 time (15 -20 hours per week)

Form of assessment: 4,000 word essay

Language of instruction: English

Credits: 6

Gender, Science and Technology (option, alternate years - 96/7 on - term one)

This course examines how gender gets 'imprinted' in new scientific knowledge and new technologies, and how S&T can shape relations between women and men. Topics include the position of women in science and engineering; feminist critiques of sexist science; feminist epistemologies for science; technology, gender and work (paid and unpaid); computing and IT; medical science and new reproductive technologies.

Course coordinators: W Faulkner

Level: undergraduate (honours)

Workforms: lectures and seminars

Number of formal contact hours: 20

Normalised students study load: 1/3 or 1/2 time (15 -20 hours per week)

Form of assessment: 4,000 word essay

Language of instruction: English

Credits: 6

The Management of R&D and Product Innovation (option, terms two and three)

This course explores the process by which new products are brought to market in the R&D-based industries (eg, electronics, pharmaceuticals). Topics include the economics of innovation; success in innovation; strategy for innovation; small firm innovation; organising for innovation; managing R&D; and managing design; technological collaboration; and innovation policy.

Course coordinators: W Faulkner

Level: postgraduate (MBA option)

Workforms: lectures and group discussion

Number of formal contact hours: 28 (2 hours per week, finishing mid-May)

Normalised students study load: 1/3 or 1/2 time (15 -20 hours per week)

Form of assessment: project and essay

Language of instruction: English

Credits: 6

The Management of Technology (option, terms two and three)

This course investigates the process of implementation, whereby human, technical and organisational elements are combined together appropriately to create operating systems which (ideally) meet the particular organisation's objectives. It aims to develop students' understanding of the technical and managerial issues involved and introduce appropriate tools.

Course coordinators: J Fleck

Level: postgraduate (MBA option)

Workforms: lectures and group discussion

Number of formal contact hours: 28 (2 hours per week, finishing mid-May)

Normalised students study load: 1/3 or 1/2 time (15 -20 hours per week)

Form of assessment: projects and essay

Language of instruction: English

Credits: 6