PhD course "Key themes in STS" Chalmers and University of Gothenburg
Lisa Lindén
Dear all,
The Division of STS at Chalmers University of Technology is, in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg, giving the PhD course Key themes in Science and Technology Studies this autumn. The course is also open for external PhD students, so please share with possibly interested people.
Contact me at lisa....@chalmers.se if you are interested in participating in the course, or visit the course website.
See below for further info.
Best wishes,
Lisa
KEY THEMES IN STS
FTME002 (7.5 hp) Autumn 2026
Chalmers University of Technology
Science, Technology and Society Division
In collaboration with the STS groups at the Department of Sociology and Work Science & the Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science
Course examiner: Lisa Lindén
Purpose:
The purpose of this course is to provide participants with in-depth understanding of key themes in the interdisciplinary Science and Technology Studies (STS) field. The framing of the research field elaborated in this course brings attention to the ways in which STS discussions have evolved over time and demonstrates the diversity of perspectives. Highlighting long-running theoretical debates the teaching will enable participants to position their own projects in the international STS field.
An additional purpose of the course is to introduce participants to the Gothenburg STS network created by colleagues across Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg. There will be networking opportunities with faculty, researchers and PhD students in the STS groups at Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg.
Learning objectives:
After completing this course, the participants should be able to:
- Describe the historical evolution of key approaches in STS.
- Explain concepts and research problems characterising STS as a field of inquiry.
- Demonstrate how STS perspectives can be applied to relevant issues.
- Examine challenges encountered in STS analyses.
- Select STS concepts appropriate to a specific research task.
Learning activities:
The teaching and learning activities take place in three workshops running over two days, from lunchtime to lunchtime. Workshop activities include lectures, seminars and practical exercises.
The extensive reading list (to be made available in June 2026) will equip participants to engage in incisive analysis of the themes highlighted in the workshop sessions. Examples of topics that will be addressed are controversies, symmetry, agency, infrastructures, accountability, hybridity, and multiplicity.
Assessment:
The examination comprises active attendance at the workshops and a short paper relating the students own research interest to the course content. Write a paper of approximately 4000 words on a topic/question/concern that you, based on the readings, want to explore (such as something of relevance for your thesis topic).
OUTLINE OF THE WORKSHOPS
Workshop 1: Controversy, Symmetry and Agency, 1-2 October, lunch to lunch.
Teachers: Lena Eriksson and Doris Lydahl
Workshop 2: Infrastructures, Categorisation and Politics, 29-30 October, lunch to lunch.
Teachers: Catharina Landström, Lisa Lindén and Tanya Osborne
Workshop 3: Boundaries, Overflows, Ontologies, and Reflexivity, 10-11 December, lunch to lunch.
Teachers: Mark Elam, Jesper Petersson, Göran Sundquist and Steve Woolgar