2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses
Science and Technology for Society B
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Masashi Shirabe
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Tue / 5-6 Fri
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- LAH.T205
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
What is social responsibility of scientists? How should society govern science and technology? What should scientists communicate with citizens? Through various cases, I will have participants tackle such problems.
The aims of the course are as follows.
- To foster scientists who consider social impacts of research
- To enhance participants' awareness of various aspects of complex problems
Course description and aims
(1) Strengthen ability to study science from various perspectives and in a critical manner
(2) Have basic knowledge and skills to analyze case studies of STS
Keywords
social responsibility of scientists; scientific rationality; government and science
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Mainly in a lecture style.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction | |
| Class 2 | What is things called science? | To have a critical perspective on science |
| Class 3 | Science, research papers, and scientific misconduct | To understand the role and structure of research papers and consider issues of research misconduct based on this understanding. |
| Class 4 | Debate: Blood type personality theory | To have an opportunity for self-reflection |
| Class 5 | Univerisity rankings | To understand the problems of quantification |
| Class 6 | Interface between engineering ethics and science and technology studies | To understand context sensitiveness of "ethical behavior" |
| Class 7 | Case study: Minamata disease | To understand relation between science and political authority |
| Class 8 | Case study; Itai-itai disease | To understand relation between science and political authority |
| Class 9 | Case study: FBR Monju | To understand relation between science and government |
| Class 10 | Case study: Trials regarding HIV-contaminated blood products | To understand relation between science and government |
| Class 11 | Case study: Winny (P2P File-sharing software) | To understand relation between science and government |
| Class 12 | Case study: BSE scare | To understand science for risk governance |
| Class 13 | Case study: Treatment of medical waste | To understand science for risk governance |
| Class 14 | Case study: Low dose radiation after Fukushima nuclear plant accident | To understand science for risk governance |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Yuko Fujigaki (eds.), Case analysis and theoretical concepts for science and technology studies, University of Tokyo Press (in Japanese)
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Lecture material will be distributed as needed.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Exercise problems (40%) and a final report (60%)
Related courses
- LAH.T104 ： Science and Technology for Society A
- LAH.T304 ： Science and Technology for Society C
Prerequisites
None.