HSHM 428b
[Section 2]
Methods and Literature in the History of Science and Medicine

Spring 2005

Faculty: William C. Summers, M.D., Ph.D.

Tuesday 7:00-9:00pm; Room WLH 202

Introduction to recent literature in the history of science, medicine, and public health, to historiographic issues, and methods used in historical research and writing.

Required Course Work:

1. Participation in all conference sessions.

2. A short (4-5 page) essay-review of one of the texts read for the course. Essay-review due 1 April 2004 (Friday) 5:00 pm. Dropoff box located outside door to WLH 315. For good examples of the "essay-review" genre, look at recent issues of ISIS (a major journal in History of Science).

3. A substantial term paper (15-20 pages on a topic agreed upon with the instructor). Paper due 2 May 2005 (Monday) 5:00 pm. Dropoff box located outside door to WLH 315.

Readings will include selections from the following books (available at Bookhaven):

Methods:

Helge Kragh: Introduction to the Historiography of Science. Cambridge, 1989.

Thomas Kuhn: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Ian Hacking: Representing and Intervening

Literature:

Rosenberg: Cholera Years

Foucault: Birth of the Clinic

Shapin: Scientific Revolution

Holmes: Meselson and Stahl

Syllabus [DRAFT]

Part I: Methods

Jan 13: Introduction

Jan 20: Kragh on Historiography

Jan 27: Kragh on Historiography

Feb 3: Hacking on Philosophy

Feb 10: Hacking on Philosophy

Feb 17: Kuhn on Revolutions

Part II: Literature

Feb 24: Shapin: Scientific Revolution

Mar 3: Rosenberg: Cholera Years

Mar 24: Foucault: Birth of the Clinic

Mar 31: Foucault: Birth of the Clinic

Apr 7: Holmes: Meselson and Stahl

Apr 14: Holmes: Meselson and Stahl

Apr 21: Recapitulation

To send a message to Professor Summers, click here.

This page was last updated on 25 February 2005.

HSHM 428b [Section 2] Methods and Literature in the History of Science and Medicine