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Rensselaer Catalog 2014-2015 [Archived Catalog]
Courses
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PSYC 4510 - Cognitive Modeling
Cognitive modeling investigates human cognition by developing computational systems that simulate cognitive processes. Cognitive modeling grew out of Cognitive Psychology and Artificial Intelligence. Cognitive models are used in a number of basic and applied domains including Human-Computer Interaction, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Computer-Generated Forces, and Synthetic Characters. In this course, students will develop models in ACT-R (a unified theory of cognition) that simulate recent findings in cognitive psychology.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: PSYC 1200 or PHIL/PSYC 2120 and CSCI 2300. Recommended: CSCI 4150 and/or PSYC 4370 or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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PSYC 4600 - Cognition and the Brain
Perception and thought are considered in terms of processes represented in the brain. The localization and lateralization of function are examined, drawing upon research on the behavioral effects of brain damage as well as brain-imaging studies and other approaches. Examples of topics include object recognition, memory, language, emotion, spatial ability, and motor processes.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: PSYC 1200.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with COGS 4600; students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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PSYC 4620 - Cognitive Engineering
Covers cognitive theory from an applied perspective to understand and predict the interactions among human cognition, artifact (i.e. tools), and task. Cognitive task analysis techniques will be taught and used throughout the course, as well techniques for collecting and analyzing fine-grained behavioral data. Topics covered may include visual search and visual attention, cognitive skills and its acquisition, hard and soft constraints on interactive behavior, human error, soft constraints on judgment and decision-making, and experts and expertise.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: PSYC/PHIL 2120 or PSYC 4370 or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with COGS 4620. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and COGS 4620.
Credit Hours: 4
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PSYC 4720 - Abnormal Psychology
The definition, history, major schools of thought, and models of the normal and abnormal personality are presented. Disorders are examined within the framework of D.S.M. and competing schools of thought. The description, etiology, treatment, including pharmacologic, and prevention of each of the disorders are considered. Illustrative cases are presented. Students write a paper on a topic, approved by the instructor, that focuses upon the impact of public policies on psychopathology.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: PSYC 1200.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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PSYC 4740 - Psychology and The Law
Since the 1950’s, social science researchers have turned their attention to the courtroom, in order to test theories of human behavior in a real world application. Are the basic assumptions underlying the practice of law in this country valid, given what psychologists know about the fundamentals of human behavior? This course will provide students with instruction regarding how the study of psychology can contribute to a better understanding of the legal system.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: PSYC 1200.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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PSYC 4750 - Forensic Psychology
A practical introduction to the field of forensic psychology, a domain within psychology concerned with the production and application of psychological knowledge to the civil and criminal justice systems. In this course, we explore the many ways in which psychological principles play an increasingly important role in influencing various processes and outcomes associated with the field of law.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: PSYC 4740.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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PSYC 4770 - Psychopharmacology and Behavioral Toxicology
This course is a detailed examination of the neuroscience and psychology inherent to the development of pharmacological agents for treating psychopathology. There is also an exploration of chemicals that are toxic to the brain as manifest by induction of psychopathology.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: PSYC 1200.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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PSYC 4800 - Sport Psychology Seminar
This course expands on topics covered in Introduction to Sport Psychology. Students in the course will work in small groups to identify and read literature in a course-relevant area of their choice. In addition to weekly written progress reports, students will prepare a final report that must be presented orally in class.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: PSYC 1200, PSYC 2800, or permission of instructor. Maximum enrollment: 24.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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PSYC 4940 - Readings in Psychology
An individually arranged independent study course under the supervision of a member of the Psychology Department. The topic is selected by consultation between student and faculty member.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: PSYC 1200 and/or permission of supervising faculty member.
Credit Hours: 1 to 4
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PSYC 4960 - Topics in Psychology
An advanced course concerned with selected topics in psychology.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: PSYC 1200 or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 1 to 4
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PSYC 4990 - Undergraduate Thesis
Students conduct original scholarly projects: original research, theoretical or analytical reviews of the literature, or computer simulations. Working either alone or in groups, students prepare written reports relating to this project, under the supervision of a faculty member. This is a communication-intensive course.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: Permission of a supervising faculty member.
When Offered: Fall, spring, and summer terms annually.
Credit Hours: 3 to 6
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STSH 1110 - Science, Technology, and Society
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. This is a communication-intensive course.
When Offered: Fall and spring terms annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed as STSS 1110. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSS 1110.
Credit Hours: 4
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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.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed as PHIL 2130. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL 2130.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 2310 - A Century of Environmental Thought
This course examines the emergence of environmental consciousness in the United States throughout the 20th century. Students in this course will study the original writings of some of the most important thinkers and activists in the history of environmentalism, examine the social contexts in which their ideas formed, and consider their relevance to contemporary sustainability issues.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: STSS 1110 or IHSS 196x (Environment & Politics) or IHSS 196x (Politics of Global Environment) or IHSS 197x (Nature/Society) or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with STSS 2310. Students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 2320 - Environment and Law
This is an introductory environmental law and policy course, with emphasis on the practical use and application of legal concepts.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 2410 - Century of the Gene
This course details the scientific and social history of genetics, from Darwin and Mendel to the Human Genome Project. Special focus areas include: plant and animal breeding in the early twentieth century; eugenics movements in the U.S. and elsewhere; bacterial and fruit fly genetics; the development of molecular biology; the invention of recombinant-DNA technologies; the emergence of the biotechnology industry; the sociobiology controversies; genetics and evolutionary theory; and the Human Genome Project and contemporary genomics.
When Offered: Fall and spring terms annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 2510 - Foundations of American History
An examination of the formative period of the nation’s development to 1877. Coverage includes the alteration of an Anglo-European culture to an American one; the causes for the colonial break with Britain; the problems of independence; the appearance and impact of American nationalism; Westward expansion and industrialization; and the causes and effects of the sectional clash.
When Offered: Fall and spring terms annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 2520 - History of the United States Since 1877
A survey of American history from the end of Reconstruction to the present. The course examines such major themes as industrialization, the rise of the city, and the impact of new technologies; it surveys the progressive movement, Theodore Roosevelt, Wilson, and the United States in World War I; and it concludes by treating the economic depression of the 1930s, the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the U.S. in World War II, and political and social developments from Kennedy to Carter.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 2530 - World War II
A topical survey of the origins, course of events, and results of World War II (1935-1945). The course covers the international economic crisis of the 1930s; the rise of totalitarianism in Europe; the wars in Ethiopia, China, and Spain; German military expansion; the war on the Eastern front and in the Pacific; the Mediterranean campaigns; naval operations; the Grand Alliance of the Allied powers; and the spread of communism in Europe and Asia.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 2940 - Readings in Science and Technology Studies
With an individual faculty member on an agreed-upon topic.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 2960 - Topics in Science and Technology Studies
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4120 - How to Read the New York Times
This is a course in critical media literacy. We explore the theory and practice of critical media literacy by learning social scientific and humanistic models, approaches, and techniques for making sense of the news (and other media), newswriting, and newsgathering, and through daily reading of the New York Times. Communication Intensive.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: one 1000 or 2000 level HASS course.
When Offered: Summer term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with STSS 4120; students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4210 - 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.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: STSH 1110/STSS 1110, STSS 2400, or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Fall and spring terms annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4250 - Bioethics
This course explores historical perspectives on bioethics through concrete cases and practical problems faced in the design and execution of some of the highest profile biomedical research and most consequential clinical decisions of the twentieth century. Topics include vaccine development; human radiation experiments; new genetic and reproductive technologies; right-to-die, death-with-dignity, and physician-assisted suicide; human experimentation, including prisoners, the sick, and the disabled; neuroethics; animal reserach; and emergent topics such as stem cell research, prenatal diagnostics, and genetic testing. This is a communication-intensive course.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: STSH/STSS 1110.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4310 - Energy Politics
Through lectures and in-class discussions, this course explores the history, domestic and international politics, policy, philosophy, economics, environmental consequences, media coverage of, and alternatives to, the US addiction to fossil fuels. Students, who may earn either humanities or social science credit, maintain analytical blogs with twice-weekly posts or write and present semester-length research papers, take a midterm exam and a comprehensive final exam. This is a communication intensive course. Satisfies the PD II Requirement.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: STSH/S 1110 or STSS 2300 or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with STSS 4310; students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4320 - 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.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: One philosophy or STS course or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Cross Listed: Cross listed as PHIL 4740. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL 4740.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4340 - 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.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Cross Listed: Cross listed as PHIL 4300. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PHIL 4300.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4420 - Biofutures
This course examines the forefronts of genetics and biotechnology, and their social and ethical implications, through multiple lenses: writings of scientists and science fiction writers, and historians, philosophers, and anthropologists of the life sciences. Topics may include: genetic testing and gene therapy; sports medicine; cosmetic psychopharmacology; patents and intellectual property; transgenic organisms; organ transplants and artificial organs; stem cell research; genetic enhancement; artificial life; cloning; and other related topics.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: any STS course or permission of the instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4430 - Drugs in History
This course teaches basic historical, anthropological, and sociological concepts that can be used to make sense of a wide variety of contemporary phenomena students encounter in everyday life. The focus is on analyzing how licit and illicit drugs serve as “technologies” within specific social contexts or subcultures; what drug policy reveals about social, political, and economic organization; and the impacts of biomedical knowledge and practice on specific population groups. The course focuses on the representation of drug use and drug users in popular culture, science and medicine, and history and the social sciences. This is a communication-intensive course.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: 1000-level course (or higher) in STS.
When Offered: Spring term odd-numbered years.
Cross Listed: Cross listed as STSS 4430. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSS 4430.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4510 - History of American Technology
Discusses the growth of American technology and its place within the framework of American history as well as the interrelationship of American and foreign technological developments. This course stresses the cultural contexts of technological change. Topics covered include the Erie Canal, the American system of manufacturing, railroads, emergence of engineering professions, corporate R&D, household technology, the technology of modern warfare, and the electronics revolution.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: One course in American history or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring semester annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4520 - China: Past and Present
An introduction to Chinese social organization and politics through readings in primary and secondary sources, class discussion, and student research projects. The class examines the paths of development open to China, and the problems the Chinese people face in choosing among them, along with the historical background of values, symbols, anger, and pride against which these issues are debated.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: A course in STS or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4530 - 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.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4610 - Product Design and Innovation Studio V
PDI studio V focuses on an enriched sense of program and user needs definition through methodologies of the humanities and social sciences. Studio projects, presentations and readings explore the relation of race, class, and gender to technology, and the potential of design to address societal problems. The course has often focused on incorporating information technology in educational tools for low-income primary school students.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: ARCH 2200, ENGR 2020, IHSS 2500, and ENGR 2050.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4720 - Consumer Culture
What is consumer culture? What are its roots, its consequences, and alternatives? Documentaries and the research of anthropologists, historians, and religious scholars examine consumer culture in the US and UK including recognition of the global locations in which our consumer goods are made. Topics include buying and selling, shopping, retail, manufacture, material culture, pricing, consumer goods, disposal, kinship, identity, exchange, and advertising, with attention paid to differences in race, class, and gender.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: Any 1000-OR 2000-level STS course or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with STSS 4720. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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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.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: STSH 1110/STSS 1110; IHSS 1960; or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Fall and spring terms annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed as STSS 4800. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSS 4800.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4850 - The Phelan Seminar on Technology and Society
An undergraduate honors-style seminar examining interactions between technology and modern society. Particular attention will be given to the historical origins and contemporary contexts of technological change in America, especially the Hudson/ Mohawk region of New York. The specific topic of the seminar will change each year, coordinated with visiting lecturers and other scholarly events, publicized during the fall term.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: any 2000-level STS course and permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4940 - Readings in Science and Technology Studies
With an individual faculty member on an agreed-upon topic.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSH 4960 - Topics in Science and Technology Studies
Credit Hours: 4
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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. This is a communication-intensive course.
When Offered: Fall, spring, and summer terms annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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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.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSH 6040 - Cultures of Inquiry
An historical overview of the contrast between universal and local theories of knowledge. Readings begin with classic philosophy (Descartes, Hume, Kant, etc.), and the break from these universalist frameworks through modernist theories for cross-cultural comparison of knowledge systems (indigenous, national, folk, etc.). These in turn are critiqued through postmodern cultural theory, including popular culture studies, cyberculture, and postcolonial studies.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSH 6940 - Readings in Science and Technology Studies
With an individual faculty member on an agreed-upon topic.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSH 6960 - Topics in Science and Technology Studies
Credit Hours: 3
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STSH 6970 - Professional Project
Active participation in a semester-long project, under the supervision of a faculty adviser. A Professional Project often serves as a culminating experience for a Professional Master’s program but, with departmental or school approval, can be used to fulfill other program requirements. With approval, students may register for more than one Professional Project. Professional Projects must result in documentation established by each department or school, but are not submitted to the Office of Graduate Education and are not archived in the library. Grades of A,B,C, or F are assigned by the faculty adviser at the end of the semester. If not completed on time, a formal Incomplete grade may be assigned by the faculty adviser, listing the work remaining to be completed and the time limit for completing this work.
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STSS 1110 - Science, Technology, and Society
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. This is a communication-intensive course.
When Offered: Fall and spring terms annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed as STSH 1110. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSH 1110.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 1200 - Sustainability Debates
Efforts to advance environmental sustainability have provoked intense and complicated political debate. In this course, students analyze key stakeholders, issues, and alternative pathways for the future. They also participate in a series of oral debates, focused on environmental regulations, economic growth, industrialism, and globalization. Students also work in a group to develop a proposal that responds to concern about environemtal sustainability. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to develop (and critically reflect on) their own environmental values and ideas.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 1310 - Principles and Practices of American Government
An analytical survey of the essential features of American government within the national setting of environmental and historical factors. Among the topics included are the foundations and characteristics of American constitutionalism; the principles of federalism and the boundaries of federal, state, and local governments; the structure and dynamics of political parties; the activities and interrelations of the legislative and executive branches on all levels of American government; the judicial process and judicial review.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 1330 - International Relations
The world today faces enormous problems: the bloody horrors of war, the unconscionable and widening economic gap between rich and poor countries, and the looming threat of catastrophic environmental degradation. This course examines the causes and consequences of these problems, wonders what a world beyond greed and hate would look like, and considers what it will take to build a better world. Toward these ends, several themes are explored, including the nature of the international system, contemporary challenges to the state system, and alternatives to hunger, exploitation, and international violence.
When Offered: Annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 1510 - Cultural Anthropology
An introduction to human societies and cultures in comparative perspective, from tribal societies to complex societies such as the United States. Emphasis on ethnographic descriptions of other cultures such as on the interpretation of cultural symbolism and on topical issues such as medical anthropology.
When Offered: Annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 1520 - Sociology
A study of the principles and concepts of sociology and their application to the study of society and self. Students are introduced to the scope, materials, and methods of sociology. The issues and problems to be studied come from basic social institutions such as the family, science, and religion. Other topics may include love, crime, political economy, power, population growth, social class, and minority and ethnic relations.
When Offered: Fall and spring terms annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 1620 - Design, Innovation, and Society
The course will cover fundamental concepts in the social sciences that are relevant to design and innovation; an introduction to ways of thinking about technology, design, values, and society; basic concepts relevant to innovation in the global economy; and an introduction to entrepreneurship with a focus on social entrepreneurship and triple-bottom-line or “social” businesses.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 1960 - Topics in Science and Technology Studies, Anthropology/ Archaeology, History, Political Science, or Sociology
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 2200 - Engineering, Design, and Society
What is engineering? How should engineering fit into society? What is engineering design? What role should engineering designers play in society? How do the social and technical aspects of design relate to each other? This course will explore answers to these questions through a variety of perspectives and case studies.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 2210 - Design, Culture, and Society
This course allows students to develop a critical understanding of the relationships between design, culture, and society. “Design” is defined broadly, touching on product/industrial design, urban design, and so-called alternative design approaches such as ecological and feminist design. The focus is on the role of design in contemporary culture with the goal of training students’ emerging appreciation of design as cultural practice on their professional work as engineers, architects, or business managers. This is a communication-intensive course.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 2290 - American Politics in Crisis
Analyzes the workings of major institutions in American society and politics during a period in which key parts of our society seem dysfunctional, having lost their integrity and ability solve problems. Through a careful reading of texts in political science and social criticism we discuss symptoms, causes and possible remedies.
When Offered: Fall term even-numbered years.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 2300 - Environment and Society
Society and the natural environment are crucially linked in a number of ways. Environmental problems such as pollution and natural resource depletion are not only problems for society, affecting the way we live our lives; they are also problems of society—the result of patterns of social organization and social practices. In this course, we will explore these society/environment interactions at various levels, from the local to the global, using the concepts and insights of environmental sociology. Environmental sociologists aim to understand the social origins of environmental problems and propose workable solutions to them. By showing how social interaction, institutions, and beliefs shape human behavior, environmental sociology provides a useful complement to the natural sciences in the analysis of the environmental problems faced today.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: STSH 1110/STSS 1110 or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 2310 - A Century of Environmental Thought
This course examines the emergence of environmental consciousness in the United States throughout the 20th century. Students in this course will study the original writings of some of the most important thinkers and activists in the history of environmentalism, examine the social contexts in which their ideas formed, and consider their relevance to contemporary sustainability issues.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: STSS 1110 or IHSS 196x (Environment & Politics) or IHSS 196x (Politics of Global Environment) or IHSS 197x (Nature/Society) or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with STSH 2310. Students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 2350 - Law, Values, and Public Policy: Perspectives on Science and Technology
This course examines the interconnections between values and law, seeking to understand how these affect and are affected by science and technology by examining such topics as computers and privacy, medical malpractice, abortion, and other legal conflicts surrounding new reproductive technologies, problems of expert witnesses, sexual harassment, patent infringement, auto safety litigation, and siting of hazardous facilities, among others. This is a communication-intensive course.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 2400 - Medicine and Society
The purpose is to explore the contributions of anthropology, sociology, and history to health and illness. By the end of the course, students will have an overall picture of health fields, problems faced by patients and caregivers, medicine and health in non-Western societies, and the social shaping of disease and therapeutic choices. This course introduces the Medicine and Society Minor Concentration.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 2460 - Human Evolution
The systematic study of human origins has excited scientific and popular imaginations since Darwin. The course considers two overlapping frameworks, sociobiology and paleoanthropology, for explaining the evolution of behavior. Topics include “selfish gene” theories of biological altruism, adaptation, and organism-environment interaction. Also developed are critical perspectives on the exchange of ideas between science and society in determining the nature of human nature. This is a communication-intensive course.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 2940 - Readings in Science and Technology Studies, Anthropology/Archaeology, History, Political Science, or Sociology
With an individual faculty member on an agreed-upon topic.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 2960 - Topics in Science and Technology Studies
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4120 - How to Read the New York Times
This is a course in critical media literacy. We explore the theory and practice of critical media literacy by learning social scientific and humanistic models, approaches, and techniques for making sense of the news (and other media), newswriting, and newsgathering, and through daily reading of the New York Times. Communication Intensive.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: One 1000-or 2000-level HASS course.
When Offered: Summer term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with STSH 4120; students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4230 - Social Dimensions of Nanotechnology
Students will have a basic understanding of the current state of nanotechnology development and its future projections. They will understand the social and environmental issues at stake in nanotechnology and will have the conceptual tools to engage in analyzing these issues and creating an informed perspective on the choices that could lead to a more just and sustainable world.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: Any course with an STSH/STSS designation or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4260 - Food, Farms, and Famine
This course provides students with a wide-ranging understanding of the environmental and social context of food, agriculture, and hunger. Drawing primarily on sociological concepts and research, the class will take a “food systems” approach, analyzing food as it travels from farm to table as part of an interconnected process. Students will examine why humans eat the way they do and how individuals’ food choices affect other people and the environment.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: Any 2000-level STSS course or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4270 - Sustainability Problems
In this course, students will map the matrix of problems that make sustainability difficult – problems with the U.S. political, legal, and educational system, with media, culture, and individual behavior. Students will also identify sustainability pathways in transportation, urban design, education, alternative energy, etc. Throughout, students will analyze and try to produce effective environmental communication.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: Any 2000-level STSS course or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4280 - Sustainability Education
This course examines needs for and challenges of delivering environmental education in different settings. Students critically review existing environmental education curricula then design and deliver their own to K-12 students. The history of public education in the United States, factors shaping contemporary education, various approaches to environmental education, and the complex challenge of interdisciplinary curriculum design are examined. Students in the course develop and demonstrate their own educational and environmental values.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: One 1000-or 2000-level STSH/S course.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with STSS 6280; students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4300 - Social Entrepreneurs and Sustainable Communities
This course has three main goals: 1) to introduce students to community-level thinking about solutions to the twinned global problems of sustainability and injustice; 2) to introduce students to the literature on social innovation/social entrepreneurship and to provide a basis for additional research, work, and entrepreneurship in the field; and 3) to help students explore how they might integrate work in the social innovation/NGO sector into their careers or into voluntary activities so that their future lives and careers are more meaningful.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: Any course with an STSS, STSH, MGMT, or ECON designation.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4310 - Energy Politics
Through lectures and in-class discussions, this course explores the history, domestic and international politics, policy, philosophy, economics, environmental consequences, media coverage of, and alternatives to, the US addiction to fossil fuels. Students, who may earn either humanities or social science credit, maintain analytical blogs with twice-weekly posts or write and present semester-length research papers, take a midterm exam and a comprehensive final exam. This is a communication intensive course. Satisfies the PD II Requirement.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: STSH/S 1110 or STSS 2300 or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with STSH 4310; students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4330 - 21st Century Risks—Robotics, Nanotechnology, Cloning, and Other Technologies
This course covers two main types of technological risk: (1) innovating in ways that endanger health, quality of life, environment, or other goals; and (2) failing to pursue innovations that people need. Some understanding of the technical details is a prerequisite for making sense of emerging technologies, but the course focuses more on media, public opinion, political decision making, technologists’ incentives, and other social issues. This is a communication-intensive course.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: STSH/STSS 1110 or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4350 - Politics of Design
A research seminar exploring the meaning of design in engineering, architecture, political theory, and other fields. How do social ideals and motives inspire design choices? To what extent does the design of human-made things shape the quality of public life? A variety of objects are studied: buildings, machines, artifacts in everyday use, computer programs, political constitutions, etc.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: Any 2000-level course in STS or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term odd-numbered years.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4360 - Contemporary Political Thought
This seminar focuses upon contemporary theoretical approaches to issues in political society. Writings in liberalism, conservatism, postmodernism, anarchism, and green politics are compared with special attention to their policy proposals.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: Any 2000-level STS course.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4370 - Environmental Politics and Policy
A highly interactive introduction to environmental politics and policy in the United States. Major themes include the background and context of environmental politics and policy, the policy-making process, environmental issues selected and reported on by students, the varieties of environmentalism, and environmental ethics.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: Any 2000-level STS course or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Fall term even-numbered years.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4430 - Drugs in History
This course teaches basic historical, anthropological, and sociological concepts that can be used to make sense of a wide variety of contemporary phenomena students encounter in everyday life. We focus on analyzing how licit and illicit drugs serve as “technologies” within specific social contexts or subcultures; what drug policy tells us about social, political, and economic organization; and the impacts of biomedical knowledge and practice on specific population groups. We focus on the representation of drug use and drug users in popular culture, science and medicine, and history and the social sciences. This is a communication-intensive course.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: 1000-level course (or higher) in STS.
When Offered: Fall term, odd-numbered years.
Cross Listed: Cross listed as STSH 4430. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSH 4430.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4460 - Body: Self, Symbol, and Politics
Using cross-cultural comparisons, this course highlights the distinctive ways we conceptualize the body and explore how these assumptions influence health care in Western societies. The body is examined from three perspectives: as experienced; as a natural symbol for thinking about the relationships between nature and society; and as an artifact of social and political control.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: a 1000-level social science course.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4500 - Globalization and Development
This course surveys the actors, processes, and proposed solutions to the problems of environment and development. The theory and practice of three main themes are explored: the background and context of environment in North and South; politics and economic development in the south; and the problems and prospects for sustainable societies in North and South.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: STSS 2300 or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term, odd-numbered years.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4540 - Inequality in America
Modern societies are characterized by varying degrees of social inequality or differences in education, income, wealth, status, and power. How large are these differences in the U.S.? What are their consequences? How are they created, and why do they persist? The course examines such issues using social statistics, ethnographic accounts of people’s lives, international comparative data, and theoretical writings on social class.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: STSS 1110.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4560 - Gender, Science, and Technology
“Sex” is the biological distinction between being male and female. “Gender” is the social construction of masculinity and femininity. The purpose of this course is to explore if, and if so, how, science and technology reciprocally contribute to and are shaped by gender ideals and images. Gender is used as a tool for critical thinking about such topics as studies of sex differences, women in science and engineering, the environment, and war and peace.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: STSH 1110/STSS 1110 or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4580 - Self-Organization in Science and Society
Self-organization has become increasingly important in science and engineering. Self-assembly of molecular structures are critical to nanotechnology; self-organizing swarms of insects are modeled in biology and robotics, and so on. But recursive loops in which things govern themselves are also foundational to society. Indigenous societies are renowned for their ecological self-stabilization. Wikipedia, Open Sources Software, and other means of “crowdsourcing” offer new visions for a more democratic civil society.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: Any course with an STSH/STSS designation or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term even-numbered years.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4610 - PDI Studio VI
The sixth design studio for non-engineering majors participating in the interdisciplinary Programs in Design and Innovation, this course introduces students to organizational dimensions of new concept design, development, and dissemination, including entrepreneurship, organization planning, product management, and branding and marketing. The course requires students to synthesize social, technical, business, and formal concerns in the design of innovative objects, environments, or systems.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: STSH 4610 PDI Studio V.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with ENGR 4610; students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4720 - Consumer Culture
What is consumer culture? What are its roots, its consequences, and alternatives? Documentaries and the research of anthropologists, historians, and religious scholars examine consumer culture in the US and UK including recognition of the global locations in which our consumer goods are made. Topics include buying and selling, shopping, retail, manufacture, material culture, pricing, consumer goods, disposal, kinship, identity, exchange, and advertising, with attention paid to differences in race, class, and gender.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: Any 1000- OR 2000-level STS course or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with STSH 4720. Students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 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.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisites: STSH 1110/STSS 1110; IHSS 1960; first year studies course or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Fall and spring terms annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed as STSH 4800. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSH 4800.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4840 - Professional Development II
This course explores technological contexts for leadership roles. Assignments develop a variety of communication skills. A team-based project gives students the opportunity to demonstrate leadership initiative by proposing solutions to social problems that combine technical expertise with social analysis and communication skills.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: ENGR 1010. The course is limited to junior and senior engineering majors. A similar course is offered in Cognitive Science, and students cannot take both courses for credit.
When Offered: Fall and spring terms annually.
Credit Hours: 2
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STSS 4850 - The Phelan Seminar on Technology and Society
An undergraduate honors-style seminar examining interactions between technology and modern society. Particular attention will be given to the historical origins and contemporary contexts of technological change in America, especially the Hudson/ Mohawk region of New York. The specific topic of the seminar will change each year, coordinated with visiting lecturers and other scholarly events, publicized during the fall term.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: Any 2000-level STS course and permission of instructor.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4940 - Readings in Science and Technology Studies, Anthropology/Archaeology, History, Political Science, or Sociology
With an individual faculty member on an agreed-upon topic.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 4960 - Topics in Science and Technology Studies
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 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. This is a communication-intensive course.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: Restricted to STS majors with senior standing. STSS Science and Technology Studies—Social Sciences credit (HSSS) (For Science and Technology Studies-Humanities credit, see STSH.)
When Offered: Fall, spring, and summer terms annually.
Credit Hours: 4
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STSS 6010 - Concepts/Research Seminar in Science and Technology Studies
A two-semester graduate seminar designed primarily for matriculants in the department’s M.S. program in Science and Technology Studies. Introduces students to the literature and the current issues in the constituent disciplines of Science and Technology Studies. Considers applications of this scholarship to current practical problems involving the human dimensions of science and technology. The first semester culminates in a bibliographic essay. In the second semester, students conduct research under the supervision of individual faculty members on topics of mutual interest.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSS 6020 - Concepts/Research Seminar in Science and Technology Studies
A two-semester graduate seminar designed primarily for matriculants in the department’s M.S. program in Science and Technology Studies. Introduces students to the literature and the current issues in the constituent disciplines of Science and Technology Studies. Considers applications of this scholarship to current practical problems involving the human dimensions of science and technology. The first semester culminates in a bibliographic essay. In the second semester, students conduct research under the supervision of individual faculty members on topics of mutual interest.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor.
When Offered: Fall and spring terms annually.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSS 6040 - Technology Studies
The seminar examines interactions between technology and society from the vantage point of the various disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives that have contributed to technology studies. The texts, theories, and arguments that were important for the historical development of the field are covered, as well as contemporary issues. The seminar provides the resources and develops the skill needed for understanding, criticizing, constructing, and developing research in the field.
When Offered: Fall term, odd-numbered years.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSS 6100 - Policy Studies
An overview of the field of science and technology policy studies from various disciplinary perspectives and a survey of various policy types or arenas. The texts, theories, and arguments that were important for the historical development of the field are covered, as well as contemporary issues. The seminar provides the resources and develops the skill needed for understanding, criticizing, constructing, and developing research in the field.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSS 6110 - Research Methods in STS
This course offers an overview of social science techniques and research design and logistics and approaches widely used in STS.
When Offered: Fall term annually.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSS 6120 - Advanced Research Methods
This course provides a foundation for professional-level research in science and technology studies. Through group research exercises, students explore the intersection between research issues (ethics, reliability, validity, quantification) and types of observation.
When Offered: Spring term even-numbered years.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSS 6200 - Science Studies
A broad survey of the field of science studies from the vantage point of various disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives that have contributed to the development of science studies. The texts, theories, and arguments that were important for the historical development of the field are covered, as well as contemporary issues. The seminar provides the resources and develops the skill needed for understanding, criticizing, constructing, and developing research in the field.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSS 6280 - Sustainability Education
This course examines needs for and challenges of delivering environmental education in different settings. We critically review existing environmental education curricula then design and deliver our own to K-12 students. We examine the history of public education in the United States, factors shaping contemporary education, various approaches to environmental education, and the complex challenge of interdisciplinary curriculum design. Students in the course develop and demonstrate their own educational and environmental values.
When Offered: Spring term annually.
Cross Listed: Cross listed with STSS 4280; students cannot obtain credit for both courses.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSS 6300 - Environment and Social Theory
This course focuses on contemporary social theory to understand the historical origins, institutional structures, and dominant trajectories of environmental-social change. Three main questions structure our inquiry into the links among science, technology, environment, and social theory: 1) why do modern societies degrade their environments? 2) why do environmental movements arise, or what are the social structural, cultural, and political origins of environmentalism? and 3) can some particular politics curtail environmental degradation?
When Offered: Alternate years.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSS 6360 - Advanced Contemporary Political Thought
Conducted in conjunction with STSS 4360, with additional graduate-level readings. Graduate students must write a research paper along with all other requirements for the course.
When Offered: Upon the availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 3
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STSS 6400 - Environment and Health
This course explores how the health impacts of environmental problems are understood and responded to through medical, legal, and regulatory intervention. Case studies are used to highlight different strategies for dealing with environmental illness, comparing the perspectives of affected people, medical professionals, lawyers, government officials, industry representatives, and media. A core component of the course is devoted to problems related to exposure to toxic chemicals, including readings on popular epidemiology, mass torts, transboundary victimization, and medical rehabilitation models.
When Offered: Upon availability of instructor.
Credit Hours: 3
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