136-497 HPS Advanced Coursework

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Coordinator:

Prerequisite/s:

Corequisite/s:

Objectives:

The Honours Program in HPS is designed to:

• provide an introduction to the processes and practice of research work in one of the fields of history of science, social history of medicine, philosophy of science, social study of science and technology;

• enable the critical development, application, and reflection on current methodological approaches to one of the above fields;

• enhance the understanding of HPS across a wide area;

• encourage development of autonomy and independence in defining do-able problems in HPS, locating relevant resources, and evaluating information;

• improve oral and written communication skills.

Content:

Subject 136-497 comprises:

• four 1-semester courses chosen from the departments HPS 400 and 600 level courses and approved by your supervisor. Where a 400 level course offered by a cognate department is particularly relevant to a student's thesis, permission may be granted for enrolment in that subject;

• Seminars may be offered in the areas of writing about science; cosmos and polis; physical science in the 18th century; institutional structures of Australian science - historical perspectives; science and technology in the age of empire; scepticism, fallibilism and relativism; philosophy of T. S. Kuhn; use and philosophical foundations of statistics; disease and society; technology and social context in the biological and health sciences; environmental perspectives and policy; history of technology.

Assessment: