Social sciences

Lecturer:

Radim Hladík (gar.)

Tutor:

Radim Hladík (gar.)

Supervisor:

Department of Social Sciences

Synopsis:

The purpose of this course is to get the engineering students acquainted with the substantive matters and methods pursued by the disciplines in social sciences. Rather than an introductory course on sociology, economics, or anthropology, the goal for the students is to examine the position of social-science disciplines between natural sciences and the humanities, as well as in the overall system of knowledge in society. Emphasis is placed on the position of science and technology in social sciences. The course combines lectures and collective discussions based on students? presentations.

Requirements:

No prerequisites

Syllabus of lectures:

1.Introduction, course overview

2.Social sciences: explanation or understanding?

3.Sociology

4.Sociology of science

5.Psychology

6.Economics

7.Economic constraints in technology development

8.Anthropology

9.Ethnography of the laboratory

10.Interdisciplinarity

11.Current trends in social sciences

12.Risk society

13.Revision of covered topics, course evaluation

For a successful completion of the course, attendance, participation, and in-class presentation (or a critical commentary in writing on a selected text) are required.

Syllabus of tutorials:

Study Objective:

Study materials:

Berger, Peter L, and Thomas Luckmann. 1967. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. New York: Anchor Books.

Geertz, Clifford. 1973. The Interpretation of Cultures; Selected Essays. New York: Basic Books.

Foucault, Michel. 1994. The Order of Things; an Archaeology of the Human Sciences. New York: Vintage Books.

Yonay, Yuval P. 1998. The Struggle Over the Soul of Economics: Institutionalist and Neoclassical Economists in America Between the Wars. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press.

Note:

Time-table for winter semester 2011/2012:

	06:00–08:0008:00–10:0010:00–12:0012:00–14:0014:00–16:0016:00–18:0018:00–20:0020:00–22:0022:00–24:00
Mon	roomTH:A-336 Loudín J. 08:00–09:50 (lecture parallel1) Thákurova 7 (FSv-budova A) A336
Tue
Fri
Thu
Fri

Time-table for summer semester 2011/2012:

Time-table is not available yet

The course is a part of the following study plans: