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Core Curriculum

Values in Science & Technology

Values in Science & Technology

Facilitator: Di Di, Assistant Professor, Sociology 

Our contemporary world is shaped by science and technology to such a profound degree that our students cannot be effective leaders and citizens without the capacity to critically engage the scientific and technological dimensions of society. This pathway invites students to understand the social values and social context of science & technology as social forces. It will provide opportunities for students from all majors to critically examine the practice of science, the social dimensions of technology, the role that these play in society, and the influences of social values on these. This pathway is open to all students interested in this topic, and one need not be a science or engineering major to choose it. Natural science and engineering majors will find it highly accessible because it includes required lower and upper division courses from these majors. Students in all majors are encouraged to take classes in the social sciences and humanities to integrate consideration of social values in their pathway. This pathway has roughly one hundred classes in it, but students should plan their upper division courses very carefully, since many of these are restricted to specific majors.

Associated Courses

Accounting (ACTG)
134 ​Accounting Information Systems
Anthropology (ANTH)
1 Introduction to Biological Anthropology 
2 Introduction to Archaeology
4 Vanished Peoples and Lost Civilizations 
5 Popular Culture & Bioanthropology 
130 Primate Behavioral Ecology 
132 Paleoanthropology 
133 Human Nutrition and Culture 
135 Human Development and Sexuality (cross-listed with PHSC 135)
136 Forensic Anthropology
137 Evolutionary Medicine 
140 Food, Culture and Environment (cross-listed with ENVS 136)
145 Historical Ecology (cross-listed with ENVS 137)
147 Archaeology of Complex Societies 
Art History (ARTH)
140 Photography in the United States 
Arts (ARTS)
36 Ditto! The Technology of Print
Biology (BIOL)
1C Systems L&L 
4 Light and Life L&L 
18 Exploring Biotechnology L&L 
23 Investigations in Evolution & Ecology L&L 
109 Genetics and Society 
117 Epidemiology (cross-listed with PHSC 100)
135 Biofuels: Sustainable Energy (cross-listed with ENVS 135)
142 Natural History of California L&L
144 Natural History of Baja (cross-listed with ENVS 144)
150 Conservation Biology 
153 Conservation Science (cross-listed with ENVS 153)
159 Plagues in the Age of Insects 
169 Social and Ethical Dimensions of the Sciences 
171 Soc/Ethical Dimensions Biotech 
Chemistry (CHEM)
1 Chemistry & the Environment 
5 Chemistry: An Experimental Science 
11 General Chemistry I L&L 
11H General Chemistry I L&L: Honors 
14 Advanced Chemical Principles L&L 
183 Senior Research Experience
Child Studies (CHST)
75 Science, Technology, and Educational Innovation 
Civil Engineering (CENG)
115 Civil Engineering Materials 
115L Civil Engineering Materials Lab (CENG 115 is a co-requisite)
119 Designing for Sustainable Construction (cross-listed with CENG 219)
140 Water Resources Engineering 
140L Water Resources Engineering Lab (CENG 140 is a co-requisite)
143 Environmental Engineering 
143L Environmental Engineering Lab (CENG 143 is a co-requisite)
144 Environmental System Designs 
144L Environmental Systems Design Lab (CENG 144 is a co-requisite)
161 Sustainable Water Resources (cross-listed with CENG 261)
219 Designing for Sustainable Construction (cross-listed with CENG 119)
261 Sustainable Water Resources (cross-listed with CENG 161)
Classics (CLAS)
107 Scientists and Spartans
171 Ancient Science and Technology: Atoms, Aqueducts, and Alchemy 
173 Bath and Body Works 
174 Eureka! Exploring the Body in Ancient Greece and Rome 
Communication (COMM)
12 Technology and Communication
106A Gender, Health, and Sexuality (cross-listed with WGST 140)
113 Biology of Human Communication 
120A Environmental Communication 
149B Science News: How to Report 
155 Media Psychology 
156A Health Communication
185A New Media and Communication 
Computer Engineering (COEN)
150 Introduction to Information Security
Computer Science (CSCI)
3 Intro to Computing & Applications 
10 Introduction to Computer Science 
10B Introduction to Computer Science B
Economics (ECON)
111 Economics of the Environment 
Engineering (ENGR)
60 Sustainable Electric Energy 
90 Solar Decathlon Workshop 
110 Engineering Projects Community 
160 Nanotechnology and Society 
161 Globalization and the Cultures of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Cross-listed with MGMT 177)
English (ENGL)
25 Textual Editing
108 Writing in STEM 
109 Information Culture and Information Society 
110 New Media in Theory and Practice
Environmental Studies & Sciences (ENVS)
2 Energy and the Environment
10 Joy of Garbage 
20 The Water Wars of California L&L 
21 Introduction to Applied Ecology L&L 
22 Introduction to Environmental Studies 
23 Introduction to Earth Systems L&L 
80 Energy and the Environment 
84 Spirituality and Sustainability (cross-listed with TESP 84)
120 Intro to Environmental Law & Regulation in the U.S.
122 Environmental Politics and Policy (cross-listed with POLI 157)
135 Biofuels: Sustainable Energy (cross-listed with BIOL 135)
136 Food, Culture and Environment (cross-listed with ANTH 140)
137 Historical Ecology (cross-listed with ANTH 145)
144 Natural History of Baja (cross-listed with BIOL 144)
145 Environmental Technology 
146 Agriculture, Environment, & Development: Latin America 
147 International Environment & Development 
152 Faith, Ethics and Biodiversity (cross-listed with TESP 152)
153 Conservation Science (cross-listed with BIOL 153)
158 Conservation Psychology (cross-listed with PSYC 158)
185 Garbology 
Ethnic Studies (ETHN)
156 Environmental Racism, Gender & Justice (cross-listed with WGST 113)
Experiential Learning for Social Justice (ELSJ)
135 Research in Social Entrepreneurship 
Gender and Sexuality Studies (GNSX)
33 Human Sexuality (cross-listed with PHSC 28)
113 Environmental Racism, Gender & Justice (cross-listed with ETHN 156)
116 Race, Gender and Public Health in the News 
140 Gender, Sexuality, and the Body (cross-listed with COMM 106A)
150 Catholic Theology & Human Sexuality (cross-listed with TESP 139)
181 Inequality in the Economy & Workplace (cross-listed with SOCI 152)
History (HIST)
24 Global History of Sexually Transmitted Diseases 
79/179 History of Technology: Steam to Cyborgs 
85 Introduction to United States Environmental History 
86B Silicon Valley Histories 
123 Plagues/Epidemics/Infections
124 Global History of Sexually Transmitted Diseases 
125 History of the Senses 
184 American Historical Geography 
Management (MGMT)
40 Foundational Knowledge of Managing for Sustainability
41 Foundational Skills of Managing for Sustainability 
42 Leading from the Triple Bottom Line 
176 Sustainable Food Systems 
177 Globalization and the Cultures of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Cross-listed with ENGR 161)
Mechanical Engineering (MECH)
121 Thermodynamics I 
144 Smart Product Design 
144L Smart Product Design-Lab (MECH 144 is a co-requisite)
Music (MUSC)
119 Music, Technology & Society 
Neuroscience (NEUR)
1 Introduction to Neuroscience 
Operations and Management Information Systems (OMIS)
34 Science,Info Tech, Busn & Soc 
Philosophy (PHIL)
22 Ethics in the Digital Age
22H Ethics in the Digital Age: Honors 
27/H Ethics in Health Care
29 Ethics and the Environment
40 Science, Technology, and Society 
83 Neuroscience, Values & Science
153 Philosophy of Science 
Physics (PHYS)
5 Physics and Technology for Future Leaders 
8 Introduction to Space Sciences 
32 Physics for Scientists and Engineers II 
111 Electromagnetic Theory I 
Political Science (POLI)
157 U.S. Environmental Policy (cross-listed as ENVS 122)
Psychology (PSYC)
50 Ways of Knowing 
53 Statistics and Methods Practicum 
53L Statistics & Methods Lab 
120 Perception
130 Psychology of Learning 
131 Cognitive Psychology 
182 Psychology of Gender
Public Health (PHSC)
1 Human Health and Disease 
28 Human Sexuality (cross-listed with WGST 33)
100 Epidemiology (cross-listed with BIOL 117)
120 Technology Innovation and Public Health
135 Human Development and Sexuality (cross-listed with ANTH 135)
172 Management of Health Care Organizations (cross-listed with SOCI 172)
Religion, Theology, and Culture
Religion and Society (RSOC)
99 Sociology of Religion (cross-listed SOCI 99)
Scripture and Tradition (SCTR)
35 Science vs the Bible: The Genesis Debates 
35H The Genesis Debates: Honors 
170 Darwin & God 
170R RSS: Darwin & God 
Theology, Ethics, and Spirituality (TESP)
64 Environmental Justice in Catholic Imagination 
72 Darwin, God & the Poets 
83 Dialogues Between Science & Religion 
84 Spirituality & Sustainability (cross-listed with ENVS 84)
86 Spirituality & Engineering 
139 Catholic Theology & Human Sexuality (cross-listed with WGST 150)
141 Bioethics: Dignity and Justice 
152 Faith, Ethics and Biodiversity (cross-listed with ENVS 152)
157 Ethics in the Health Professions 
Sociology (SOCI)
49 Tech, Social Media, and Society 
60 Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship---Leading Change 
99 Sociology of Religion (cross-listed with RSOC 99)
120 Survey Research and Statistical Analysis 
128 Religion, Science, and Technology 
130 Design Thinking for Social Justice 
141 Climate Justice 
149 Business, Technology & Society
152 Inequality in the Economy & Workplace (cross-listed with WGST 181)
172 Management of Health Care Organizations (cross-listed with PHSC 172)