 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Science and Technology Studies —Humanities Credit (HSSH) (School of Humanities and Social Sciences) For Science and Technology Studies-Social Sciences Credit see STSS. |
| STSH-1110 Introduction to Science and Technology Studies An introduction to the social, historical, and ethical influences on modern science and technology. Cases include development of the atomic bomb, mechanization of the workplace, Apollo space program, and others. Readings are drawn from history, fiction, and social sciences; films and documentary videos highlight questions about the application of scientific knowledge to human affairs. The class is designed to give students freedom to develop and express their own ideas. (Cross listed as STSS-1110. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSS-1110.) This course can be used to satisfy either humanities or social sciences distribution requirements. Fall and spring terms annually. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-2130 Introduction to Philosophy of Science How does science stimulate philosophical thinking and how has philosophy influenced science? This broad range of interaction is studied with special attention given to the concepts of theory, observation, and scientific method. Special attention is given to issues basic to psychology, in particular, reductionism, behaviorism, functionalism, and cognitivism. (Cross listed as PHIL-2130. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-2130.) Fall term annually. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-2500 Bioethics This course involves a philosophical analysis of some of the basic moral issues raised by recent and anticipated developments in the areas of biology and medicine. The general question “What are moral problems, and how does one resolve them?” is examined in the context of concrete cases involving issues such as abortion, euthanasia, organ transplants, experimentation on human patients, cloning, genetic engineering, behavior control and modification. (Cross-listed as PHIL-2500. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-2500.) Spring term annually. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-2670 History of 19th Century Europe A treatment of the major events and issues in European history from the French Revolution to the eve of the First World War. The main focus is on the interplay among politics, economics, technology, and society as Europe changed from a largely agrarian to a predominantly industrial society. Annually. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-2710 Sanity, Madness, and Society An examination of the models of a human being associated with various theories of madness (e.g., the psychoanalytic theory), and of the structure of interpersonal relationships in such settings as the family and mental institutions. The social and ethical implications of saying that someone is mentally ill, together with the claim that there is no such fact as mental illness, are also examined. Readings are drawn from the work of such authors as Laing, Szasz, Goffman, Sartre, Bateson, and Freud. (Cross listed as PHIL-2710. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-2710.) Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-2720 Masculine/Feminine What are our conceptions of being a woman or a man, a daughter or a son, a wife or a husband, a mother or a father? This course attempts to answer this question from a variety of perspectives, including history, biology, social psychology, anthropology, and especially philosophy. Emphasis is placed on the potential for sexual liberation in being friends or lovers, in a marriage or a family, as well as in a career. (Cross listed as PHIL-2720. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-2720.) Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-2940 Readings in Science and Technology Studies With an individual faculty member on an agreed-upon topic. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-2960 Topics in Science and Technology Studies 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4170 Ethical Issues in Computing This course examines the ethical issues that arise as a result of increasing use of (and dependence on) computers and the responsibilities of computer professionals with regard to these issues. The course stresses the ways computers challenge traditional ethical and philosophical concepts and raise old issues in a new way. Topics include codes of conduct for computer professionals, property rights in computer software, privacy, cracking, liability, and responsibility in computing. Prerequisite: STSH-1110/STSS- 1110, STSS-2400, or permission of instructor. Alternate years. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4230 Engineering Ethics This course explores the ethical issues that engineers encounter in their professional practice. It also examines social values and law and policy issues that shape engineering and technological decision making. Using case studies, professional codes of conduct, and scholarly literature, the course examines the responsibilities of engineers in relation to their employers, clients, co-professionals, and their responsibility for public safety and welfare. Topics include the history of engineering, professionalism vs. the demands of business, engineering vs. management decision making, whistle-blowing, proprietary rights and trade secrecy, and conflicts of interest. Prerequisite: STSH-1110/STSS-1110, STSS-2400, or permission of instructor. Alternate years. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4300 Environmental Philosophy While concepts such as quality of life, environment, nature, global ecology, and the like figure heavily in contemporary discussions, they are seldom integrated into an environmental philosophy. The course tries to achieve this integration by understanding some of the religious, mythic-poetic, and scientific dimensions of the human-nature matrix. Some specific environmental problems are examined to illustrate the system of values implied by various solutions. (Cross listed as PHIL-4300. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-4300). Prerequisite: junior or senior standing or permission of instructor. Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4310 Scientific Revolutions What is progress in science? How has our concept of progress been influenced by science? Are there significant differences between scientific and technological revolutions? These questions are explored in order to shed light on the complex dynamics of academic and industrial research. (Cross listed as PHIL-4310. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-4310.) Prerequisite: PHIL-1110 or PHIL-2130/STSH-2130. Fall term alternate years. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4570 Indian Politics and Culture This course explores the roots and consequences of change in India, examining recent economic reforms, technological development, environmental crisis, increasing religious fundamentalism, poverty, population growth, and trends in literature, film, and art. The objective of the course is to provide students with a nuanced understanding of how social, cultural, and political- economic factors interact, complicating efforts to build sustainable modes of governance in the Third World. Fall term alternate years. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4580 Modern Latin America A general introduction to Latin American culture: history from the colonial era to the present; Afro-American, Native American, and Euro-Latin cultures as portrayed in literature and ethnography; and current issues, such as race and racism and development and the local populations. (Cross listed as STSS-4580. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSS-4580.) Prerequisite: one H&SS course or permission of instructor. Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4720 Metaphysics A study of how to talk about what there is. This course is concerned with the philosophical claims that have been made about existence, being, and reality, and the problem of evaluating such claims, especially in the context of the claims made by science about the same issues. Some traditional philosophical and scientific texts are discussed, but recent sources will also be important. (Cross listed as PHIL-4720. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-4720.) Prerequisite: one philosophy or STS course or permission of instructor. Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4740 Philosophy of Law The course examines the following questions: What is law? What is the relationship between law and morality? Is there a moral obligation not to break the law? Detailed examination is given to the concepts of liberty, justice, responsibility, and punishment. (Cross listed as PHIL-4740. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL-4740.) Prerequisite: one philosophy or STS course or permission of instructor. Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4750 Troy, A 19th-Century Industrial City A study, taking advantage of the university’s locale, about industrialization as one important component in the development of American culture. Topics such as water for transportation and energy sources, architectural and engineering developments in conjunction with industrial growth, and social and political problems arising out of 19th-century industrialization are considered. Each student must keep a journal and is required to undertake a project and report findings in class. Classes are complemented by frequent, usually short, field trips to appropriate sites that are agreed upon by instructor and students. Prerequisite: one college-level course in American history or permission of instructor. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4760 American Material Culture Down to the 20th Century (American Architecture and Artifacts, 1700-1850) An attempt to understand the elements that have entered into the formation of the American culture, and therefore an attempt to understand the American culture itself. This is accomplished by a visual study of the architecture and artifacts of America during its formative period. Each student must keep a journal and is required to undertake a research project and report the findings to the class. Classes are complemented by frequent, usually short, field trips at times agreed upon by instructor and students to appropriate sites. Prerequisite: a college-level course in American history or permission of instructor. Spring term alternate years. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4780 Medieval Architecture and Art An attempt to grasp the meaning of the Middle Ages as a time of spiritual insight and experience sandwiched between the Classical and Renaissance ages of reason. This is accomplished by a visual study of the architecture, sculpture, and painting of the period. The medieval culture offers insights into the contemporary experience. Each student must keep a journal and is required to undertake a research project and report the findings to the class. Classes are complemented by frequent, usually short, field trips at times agreed upon by instructor and students to appropriate sites. Prerequisite: a college-level course in American history or permission of instructor. Spring term alternate years. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4800 Public Service/Professional Careers Internships This course offers an insight into the public policy process from the vantage point of a part-time internship in the public or private sector as well as an opportunity to explore a career option before actually embarking upon it. The following is a partial list of the large number of possible internships: airport planning, architecture, banking, biological research, clinical psychology, computer science, consumer protection, corporate management, engineering, environmental planning, geology, local government, materials and mechanical engineering, noise pollution abatement, personnel management review, premedical, public finance and taxation, public health management, public relations, social work, state legislature, stock market, transportation planning, and urban planning. (Cross listed as STSS-4800. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSS-4800.) Prerequisites: STSH- 1110/STSS-1110; IHSS-1960; or permission of instructor. Fall and spring terms annually. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4900 Science, Technology, and Society Seminar: Selected Topics In seminar style, all participants have the opportunity to choose materials/topics and lead discussions. General topic varies each time the seminar is offered. We emphasize our own relationships in the community of science and technology studies. Restricted to S&S majors. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4920 Topics in Science, Technology, and Society Selected topics in science and society to meet the needs of science and society majors. Previous courses offered include Technology, Minorities, and Women; Birth and Death; Fraud and Misconduct in Science; Utopian Thought; Engineering and Society: The Art of Design; Nature/Nurture Controversies; and Warfare: Social Dimensions. Prerequisite: any 2000-level STS course or consent of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4940 Readings in Science and Technology Studies With an individual faculty member on an agreed-upon topic. 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4960 Topics in Science and Technology Studies 4 credit hours |
| STSH-4980 Senior Project Ordinarily consists of independent research, supervised by a faculty member, culminating in a written thesis. A creative endeavor such as a videotape or computer program may be substituted with departmental permission. Restricted to S&S majors with senior standing. Fall, spring, and summer terms annually. 4 credit hours per term (maximum of 6 total) |
| STSH-6020 Values and Policy This course examines the ways in which policy decisions are influenced by values and the ways in which values and value issues are affected by policy decisions. Normative concepts and theories including theories of social justice, the role of individual autonomy, democratic process, and paternalism are examined for their implications for social policies. Case studies of particular policy controversies are used. Spring term annually. 3 credit hours |
| STSH-6030 Nature of Inquiry This course focuses on the role of the inquirer in inquiry, the relationship between language and inquiry, and the organizational and institutional contexts of inquiry. The emphasis in this course is on the methods of inquiry used in the humanities in relationship to STS problems. Required of STS doctoral students, other students by permission. Alternate years. 3 credit hours |
| STSH-6300 Advanced Environmental Philosophy Conducted in conjunction with STSH-4300, with additional graduate-level readings and assignments. Offered on the availability of instructor. 3 credit hours |
| STSH-6940 Readings in Science and Technology Studies With an individual faculty member on an agreed-upon topic. 3 credit hours |
| STSH-6960 Topics in Science and Technology Studies 3 credit hours |
|
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180. (518) 276-6000 Please direct questions regarding this site to catalog@rpi.edu. |