HIST 1739 Data, Power, and the Making of Modern Science: Historical Perspectives

This is an ENDURING QUESTION course and is open to FRESHMEN only. You must take both HIST1739 and SOCY1333. What does it mean to create knowledge? These paired courses examine the social construction of knowledge through the lenses of social science and history. We will investigate how the creation, framing, accessibility, and purpose of knowledge are intertwined with broader cultural, political, and economic forces. Students will examine the history of science through in-depth case studies addressing pivotal themes, including gender, class, sites of research, scientific communication, controversy and debate in the scientific community, and the influence of domestic and international politics. Students will also learn how social theory and scientific methodology embed social forces into knowledge production by dissecting case studies ranging from college ranking fraud, social media algorithms, micro-loans in Bangladesh, and why billionaires want to colonize space. We will examine the ways individuals and institutions claim expertise and authority. In addition, we will demonstrate how national and international politics shape the nature, purpose, and accessibility of scientific knowledge, how knowledge authority is granted, and who benefits from this process. In doing so, students will reflect on their own experiences and identities to connect the academic study of knowledge and power to lived experience.