STS 4071 - [Law, Science, and Public Values]

(crosslisted) BSOC 4071
(SBA-AS)

Spring. Not offered 2017-2018. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

M. Lynch.

Examines problems that arise at the interface of law and science. These problems include the regulation of novel technology, the role of technical expertise in public decision making, and the control over scientific research. The first part of the course covers basic perspectives in S&TS and how they relate to legal decisions and processes. The second part covers a series of examples and legal cases on the role of expert judgments in legal and legislative settings, intellectual property considerations in science and medicine, and legal and political oversight of scientific research. The final part examines social processes and practices in legal institutions, and relates these to specific cases of scientific and technological controversy. Lectures and assignments are designed to acquaint students with relevant ideas about the relationship between legal, political, and scientific institutions, and to encourage independent thought and research about specific problems covered in the course.