Science Studies

Science Studies website

Sociology & Science Studies

Science Studies Program Director: Robert Westman

Faculty Advisor: Martha Lampland

The Science Studies Program (SSP) at UCSD was established in 1989. At present, the Program has twenty-one core faculty members and forty-seven graduate students from the Program’s ‘home’ departments of com­munication, history, philosophy, and sociology. Students and faculty in the Program are seeking a deeper understanding of scientific knowledge and engineering technique, by means of studies - theoretically structured and empirically based - of the practice of science and engineering, past and present. The Program offers students an opportunity to incorporate perspectives developed within the communication, history, sociology, and philosophy of science and technology, while receiving a thorough training at the professional level in one of the home disciplines.

The Science Studies faculty in Sociology is particularly interested in the sociology of scientific knowledge, sociology of medicine, sociology of the social sciences, sociology of mental health, and politics and social policy in science, technology, and medicine (STM).

Science Studies program faculty from Sociology Department

Martha Lampland, mlampland@ucsd.edu

Andrew Scull, ascull@ucsd.edu

Charles Thorpe, cthorpe@ucsd.edu

 

Course Work (before their qualifying exam, students must take the following):

  • Three courses of sociological theory, at least two of which must be chosen from SOC 201A, 201B, and 201C
  • Two quarters of sociological methods (The second quarter of the two-quarter research seminar in history of science also counts toward this requirement)
  • SOC 208: Faculty Seminar
  • Two seminars in the sociology of science, technology, or medicine, one of which must be SOC 234 (Intellectual Foundations in the Study of Science, Technology, and Medicine)
  • One course in the history of science, philosophy of science, or communication of science (“science” here includes “technology” and “medicine” as well)
  • Two electives in sociology (not on science, technology, or medicine) at least one of which should be selected from the following: economic sociology, sociology of race and ethnicity, political sociology, sociology of culture, social stratification, sociology of gender, and social movements.
  • SOC 255A: Introduction to Science Studies: Part I
  • SOC 255D: Introduction to Science Studies: Part II
  • SOC 255B : Core Seminar
  • SOC 255C: Science Studies Colloquium (Two years of attendance is required). Students must attend the colloquium series for their entire first and second years. They receive course credit in one quarter each year. This course should be taken for a “S/U” grade option only. Students are required to make a colloquium presentation prior to their final defense.
  • One additional course: Either another seminar in the sociology of science, technology, or medicine; or another course in the history, philosophy, or communication of science; or SOC 255B for a second time.

 

Qualifying Exam

  • The examining committee will be made up of at least five members, three of whom must be faculty members in the Sociology Department. At least one outside member must be senior faculty. At least two internal members and at least one external member should be faculty of the Science Studies Program. Exceptions to this policy require permission from the director of the science studies program. Students should refer to university policies for additional rules concerning the composition of committees as well as the departmental SSP exam requirements.