SFOK22002U Medical Science and Technology Studies - Analysis and Writing

Volume 2022/2023
Education

Full degree master in Public Health Science - elective course

Full degree bachelor in Public Health Science - elective course

MSc in Global Health - elective course

MSc in Health Informatics - elective course

MSc in Health Science - elective course

MSc in Human Biology - elective course

Content

Science and technology studies (STS) is influential and important in giving a broader understanding of medical research and practice.

Medical STS is a multidisciplinary domain which investigates social, institutional, political and epistemological or knowledge aspects of science and new technologies using concepts and methodologies from anthropology, sociology, philosphy, organisation studies, and polictical science. 

Medical STS is often used in studies of digitalization, new medical technologies, death, the body, datafication of healthcare, reproductive technologies, human animal research and many others. 

In this course, we consider the way in which science, which often understands itself as striving for objective knowledge, is embedded in the complexity of institutional, technological, gendered, political actual social contexts.

We use STS to question assumptions about science and scientific method. In existing research and in our own writing. This allows for cirtical perspectives on how knowledge is generated and distributed, and discussions about how scientific knowledge is translated into social effects. 

Throughout the course, we use exciting new examples from medical STS research (presented by researchers themselves) to understand how medical STS can provide new perspectives on and clinical practice, ethical dilemmas and digitalization in the public healthcare setting.

The goal is to provide students with a tool box to embark on their own writing and analysis using concepts from medical STS.

Learning Outcome

By the end of the course, students will:

Have an understanding of the main themes and topics in current STS.

Knowledge: Students will have an overview of the different disciplinary perspectives on medical science and technological studies, and how they can be applied in current research as well as their own studies. They will also be able to explain the main analytical approaches and theoretical frameworks in STS.

Skills: Students will be expected to structure and analyse medically relevant issues and to produce a reasoned argument concerning these topics. They will be expected to use concepts from medical STS to argue specific perspectives and discuss different viewpoints on selected (or their own) data material.

Competence: Be able to use concepts and theories from Medical STS in analysis and writing. Develop and apply specific perspectives to cases in medical research and clinical application. Be able to engage critically with existing literature and analyses in discussion, written work and projects, offering an argument of their own.

Course litterture will be available on Absalon

Classes, lectures, group exercises, student presentations
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 40
  • Preparation
  • 195
  • Exam
  • 40
  • Total
  • 275
Written
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Type of assessment details
Course paper (8-10 pages per person). Topic chosen by the student. To be turned in one week after the last class.
(It will be possible to work on the paper during the course and get feed-back on an oral presentation of the paper from students and teachers in class)
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Exam period

Please see the exam schedule in KUnet

Re-exam

Please see the exam schedule in KUnet

Criteria for exam assesment

Students obtaining the highest grade will show evidence of:

Knowledge: Show an understanding of the medical areas, and the analytical and theoretical perspectives introduced in Medical STS, as well as be able to explain and define the main concepts introduced during the course.

Skills: Ability to analyse, discuss and argue specific examples and cases in medical research using selected concepts from Medical STS as well as evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches.

Competencies: Ability to develop arguments and analyse a selected material using concepts from Medical STS to support arguments of their own. Ability to show how concepts from Medical STS foster analysis and writing.