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CS92PROD
Science and the State
HIST 336
Spring 2011 not offered
Crosslisting: SISP 336, AMST 347

Over the past two centuries, states have been among the most prodigious producers and consumers of scientific information. Broad areas of scientific inquiry such as demography, economics, geography, and ecology substantially developed in response to the need of states to manage their populations, their economies, and their natural resources. State-directed scientific and technological innovation has also played a critical role in the pursuit of national security and infrastructural development, most notably through the development of nuclear weapons, missiles, and an array of military technologies. Finally, states have turned to scientific experts to enhance the credibility and legitimacy of policy decisions. This course introduces students to literature in the history of science that explores the connections between systems of knowledge and state power. Themes developed include the tensions among expertise and democracy, secrecy, and scientific openness; the relationship between political culture and scientific and technological development; and the role of quantification, standardization, and classification in producing political order.

Essential Capabilities: None
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Student Option
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (AMST)(STS)

Last Updated on MAR-28-2024
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