This seminar will address some of the key historiographical debates occurring today in the history of science and Empire. We will cover developments in various scientific disciplines (for example astronomy, geology, and human evolution) to assess the implications of 'science' in colonial settings. The focus will be on the British Empire, but we will examine other contexts and geographic regions as well as how they intersect with the topics. This is a hybrid class with some classes online and some in-person. Course instruction is in English but assignments can be submitted in English or German.
In this seminar we will explore the importance of place and body in the history of science. Apart from the importance of sites such as observatories, laboratories, and fields in this history, we must also ask about the spaces that made up those sites. And going even further, to what extent did divisions of rooms, labor, and bodies at these sites contribute to the science. Furthermore, how bodies in chairs, desks, and in other positions could feature in scientific work to the degree that scientists and others designed for it, will be explored in detail. The course will be in English. But presentations and Hausarbeiten may be done in German.
We will meet:
Meeting 1: October 23
Meeting 2: November 20th
Meeting 3: December 18
Meeting 4: February 5