Foundations of Sociology
Code: 106218 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2504235 Science, Technology and Humanities | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Miquel Domenech Argemi
- Email:
- miquel.domenech@uab.cat
Teachers
- Nuria Valles Peris
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
No previous requirements
Objectives and Contextualisation
1. To understand the influence of science and technology on the evolution of Western societies, as well as the historical and social conditioning factors in scientific and technological creation.
2. To explain the functioning of scientific research. To show the social and cultural factors that have to do with the production of knowledge and technologies. To analyze science as a social institution.
3. To critically evaluate the potential capacity and limitations of science and technology as well as their effects on social life. To critically analyze the correspondence between social needs and scientific and technical development, valuing citizen information and participation as a way to exercise democratic control over it.
4. To reflect in a complex and global way on techno-scientific topics of rigorous actuality and social incidence.
Competences
- Identify the various philosophical, ethical and sociological conceptions of science and technology and recognise their evolution throughout history.
- Make critical use of digital tools and interpret specific documentary sources.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
- Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply the values of non-sexist knowledge reflectively, creatively and from a critical standpoint.
- Distinguish between good and bad practice in relation to the management of sex-/gender-based inequalities.
- Evaluate the contribution of sociology to the study of science and technology.
- Identify the principal explanatory models of sociology.
- Make critical, reflective use of the notions intrinsic to sociological thought.
- Search for and select information sources, assess their importance, and use them in interpreting topics and issues of social interest.
- Use information searching techniques to produce different types of scientific reports or monographs.
- Work collaboratively and efficiently in teams.
Content
Block 1. Classical sociological thought
1. Introduction to sociological thought
2. Basic concepts and main debates in Sociology
Block 2. Sociology of knowledge and sociology of science
3. Introduction to the sociology of knowledge
4. Science as an institution and the sociology of error
Block 3. Science and Technology Studies
5. From the sociology of science to the sociology of scientific knowledge
6. Current perspectives on Science and Technology Studies
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Practice classes | 16 | 0.64 | 1, 6, 2, 4, 5 |
| Theory classes | 33 | 1.32 | 1, 2, 4, 5 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Tutorial | 4 | 0.16 | 1, 2, 4, 5 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Information search | 10 | 0.4 | 6 |
| Personal work | 55 | 2.2 | 1, 6, 2, 4, 5 |
| Review | 10 | 0.4 | 1, 6, 5, 7 |
| Teamwork | 15 | 0.6 | 8 |
Theoretical sessions in large groups where the contents of the subject are presented in a lecture format
Sessions of inverted classes where some theoretical content is explored in depth
Classroom practice sessions where the analysis of a controversy will be worked on.
Autonomous work: reading of proposed texts, study and preparation of group work.
Tutorials: supervision sessions.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV1 Written examination | 30% | 1 | 0.04 | 1, 4, 5 |
| EV2a Oral test about a book reading | 15% | 1 | 0.04 | 1, 6, 5, 7 |
| EV2b Inverted Class | 15% | 0 | 0 | 1, 3, 4, 5 |
| EV3a Elaboration of a group essay | 30% | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 3, 6, 2, 4, 8, 5, 7 |
| EV3b Oral presentation of the collective essay | 10% | 0 | 0 | 1, 2, 8, 5 |
Continuous evaluation
EV1 Written exam on the first two blocks of the subject.
This evidence represents 30% of the total mark of the subject.
EV2a Oral test on the reading of a book to be chosen from a selection made by the teaching staff of the subject. It will be done individually.
This evidence represents 15% of the total mark for the subject.
EV2b Delivery of a document prepared at home and completed in class on the reading done and the development of the class.
This evidence represents 15% of the total grade for the subject.
EV3a Elaboration of a group essay on a topic to choose from a selection made by the lecturers.
This evidence represents 30% of the total mark of the subject.
EV3b Oral presentation of the group work.
This evidence represents 10% of the total mark of the subject.
Students will obtain a “Not assessed/Not submitted” course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items
On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place
In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc.Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives
Definition of subject passed: to have obtained a total of at least 5 points in the continuous evaluation.
Resit: students who, during the continuous evaluation, have made evidences with a weight equal to or greater than 2/3 of the total grade and have obtained a final grade lower than 5 points and higher or equal to 3.5 points, may opt for the resit process.
Group work and oral presentation are excluded from the resit process.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
One-time evaluation
It will be held on the day indicated for it
The written exam will be carried out and the book review will be delivered.
If there is a group of one-time evaluation students, they will deliver the group work and make the presentation, after the written exam.
If there is not a sufficient number of students doing one-time evaluation, the group work will be done within a group of students doing the continuous evaluation. And it will be presented as stipulated in this modality.
The final mark of the course will be obtained as described for continuous evaluation.
The same recuperation system will be applied as for the continuous evaluation.
Bibliography
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Berger, P. L. y Luckmann, T. (1988). La construcció social de la realitat. Herder.
Bijker, W. E., Bal, R., & Hendriks, R. (2009). The Paradox of Scientific Authority: The Role of Scientific Advice in Democracies. MIT Press.
Bloor, D. (1976). Conocimiento e imaginario social. Barcelona: Gedisa, 1998.
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Potter, J. (1996). La representación de la realidad. Discurso, retórica y construcción social. Paidós, 1998.
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Wajcman, J. (2004). El tecnofeminismo. Cátedra,2006.
Woolgar, S. (1988). Ciencia: abriendo la caja negra. Barcelona: Anthropos, 1991.
Software
Language list
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Spanish | second semester | morning-mixed |