ANT 261

Science, Policy, and Society

You are here: Home / Requirements

Requirements

This course is not an introduction to anthropology, and students are expected to have some background in science, anthropology or social theory and methodology.

Class Participation: 10%

The most important work in this course is to be prepared for each class; this means having thoroughly read the material and being prepared to discuss particular points from the reading. Readings are due on the day listed in the class schedule. I am not a TV; discussions in class are an important part of exploring anthropological topics. Remember, there is no such thing as a dumb question or comment – if you do not understand something that I present in class, do not hesitate to either ask me in class or find me during office hours.

Annotations: 10%

Starting in the second week of class, you will write weekly lecture annotations using a web-based tool called hypothes.is; I will introduce hypothes.is to you in the second week of class. This will essentially be graded pass/fail – if you write ten good annotations (one for each week), the grade will be neutral with respect to your other grades. There will be a handout on the types of annotations that you can write. Overall, they serve as a diagnostic for me to help me see how much you understand the reading and the concepts that we will discuss in class.

Review Essay (take-home): 20%

There will also be one short essay (no more than five pages) that will give you the opportunity to explore the theoretical implications of the general STS material in relation to a possible research project. For these essays, no outside research is required; see the handout on the review essay. The essay will be due prior to class on 11 February 2019.

Final Case Study (proposal/literature review/final paper): 60%

Students will work in groups of five to develop a case study and policy brief on a particular issue in science. These content-based case studies will employ many of the concepts discussed in class. This will consist of:

  • group proposal and bibliography (worth 10% of the grade) prior to class on 18 February
  • scientific impact exercise (individual 5%, 28 February)
  • group literature review (worth 10% of the grade) on 22 March
  • group policy paper (20%, no more than 20 pages excluding references and appendices) due at 5pm on 6 May
  • group case study website (15%) due at 5pm on 6 May.