Technology, Science and Environment in History (Interdisciplinary History)

2019/2020

Учебный год

ENG

Обучение ведется на английском языке

4

Кредиты

Автор программы

Лайус Юлия Александровна

Кто читает:

Департамент истории

Статус:

Курс обязательный

Когда читается:

1-й курс, 3, 4 модуль

Преподаватели

Бекасова Александра Викторовна

Лайус Юлия Александровна

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Technological and environmental histories are now occupying a significant place among the leading and most rapidly developing subfields of history because of their relevance to a large number of hot contemporary debates: a new economy based on innovations, a new division of labor, problems of energy supply, food security or climate change among others. Learning methodology and gaining basic understanding of historiography of these two subfields in their close connection with the history of science is crucially important for students who prepared themselves either to academic career in interdisciplinary history or to doing applied research and practical work with heritage because the essential part of heritage has industrial / technological and / or natural components. Most of cultural heritage are a part of dynamically growing human-built world defined by technology, on the one hand, and are imbedded into natural landscapes or have natural components, on the other hand. The course is thematically based and focused on how ecological and technological aspects intertwined and shaped with each other and with the science.

Learning Objectives

• The aim of this core course is two-fold: to introduce students to methodologies of interdisciplinary history on the basis of technological, environmental history to show the advantages and contradictions in emerging of interdisciplinarity as one of the main tendencies in development of science

Expected Learning Outcomes

• The student would be able to reflex (evaluate and rework) the learned scientific and activity methods, to create new theories, invent new ways and tools of professional activity. The student would masters new research methods, the scientific and production profile of his/her activities and be able to improve and develop his/her intellectual and cultural level, building a trajectory of professional development and career.
• The student would be able to work with information: identify, evaluate and use information from a variety of sources for scientific and professional purposes (including with a systematic approach); to perform interdisciplinary interaction and cooperation with representatives of other fields of knowledge while solving research and applied tasks; to solve problems in the professional environment on the basis of analysis and synthesis.
• The student would be able to conduct independent fundamental and applied research using classical and modern methodology, analysis of problems, setting goals and objectives, selection of the object and subject of research, choice of research mode and methods, as well as assessment of its quality; to analyze and propose scientific interpretation of historical events in their interrelation in accordance with the requirements of modern historical science.

Course Contents

• Ways of knowing’, STS (science and technology studies) and SCoT (social construction of technology) as approaches in understanding development of science, technology and environment
• Building of scientific disciplines and emergence of interdisciplinarity. Searching for common language. Advantages and obstacles of interdisciplinarity. Experts networks in the making.
• Science, technology, environment in global history thematic fields and recent historiographic trends
• Technological and industrial development. History of infrastructures and human-built world.
• Nature, environment, and society: interactions and entanglements in history. History of resources and their use, history of the commons. Rivers, cities, agro- and techno- scapes and other objects of studies analyzed by ‘envirotech’ approach.

Assessment Elements

• In-class Participation
• Coursework 750-word encyclopedia article and 2000-word critical essay (review)
• Oral examination in a form of essays presentation
  The examination is conducted in using asynchronous proctoring. The exam is conducted on the Moodle platform (et.hse.ru), proctoring on the Examus platform (https://hse.student.examus.net). You need to connect to the exam in 15 minutes. On the Examus platform, system testing is available. The student's computer must meet the following requirements: https://elearning.hse.ru/data/2020/05/07/1544135594/Технические%20требования%20к%20ПК%20студента.pdf) To participate in the exam, the student must access the proctoring platform in advance, run a system test, turn on the camera and microphone, and verify identity. During the exam, students are prohibited from communicating (on social networks, consulting with other people in the room), or copying the materials 'as is' from the web. During the exam, students use local R (RStudio) to solve the data analysis problems. Students are allowed to use their hand-written notes and files located on their computer. A short-term disconnection during the exam is considered an interruption of communication up to 10 minutes long. A long-term disconnection during an exam is considered to be a communication interruption of 10 minutes or more. In case of a long-term disconnection, the student cannot continue the exam. The exam retake procedure is similar to the described procedure.

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (4 module)
  0.4 * Coursework 750-word encyclopedia article and 2000-word critical essay (review) + 0.4 * In-class Participation + 0.2 * Oral examination in a form of essays presentation

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Jørgensen, D., Jørgensen, F. A., Pritchard, S. B., & Armitage, K. C. (2013). New Natures : Joining Environmental History with Science and Technology Studies. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: University of Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=829368
• The Social Construction of Technological Systems: New Directions in the Sociology and History of Technology. (2012). MIT Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsnar&AN=edsnar.oai.cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl.publications.8822d670.875e.4a69.9976.19f23c75096a

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Lightman, B. V. (2016). A Companion to the History of Science. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1163670
• McClellan, J. E., & Dorn, H. (2006). Science and Technology in World History : An Introduction (Vol. 2nd ed). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=215912
• Nye, D. E. (2006). Technology Matters : Questions to Live With. Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=156956