IHS-09Locating Humanities & Social Sciences
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Transcript of IHS-09Locating Humanities & Social Sciences
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Locating Humanities & Social Sciences in Institutes of Technology:
Ravinder Kaur
Positioning of sociology in techno institutes raises question of how and what
to teach and place and space of HSS discipline The current article examines the structural maps of universities and techno
institutions and the explores the political economy which differentiallyvalues the contribution of various forms of disciplinary knowledge
Subjects such as English literature, economics, sociology, philosophy,
psychology etc. taught along with engineering and other sciences What purpose or felt need such soft discipline are expected to serve or
fulfill?
Rational for the general education programme Purdue University Such courses integral part of engineering curricula
It enables the engineering students to appreciate the world in which they live and work Provides a framework for rational inquiry, critical evaluation, judgment and decisions when
dealing with issues that are non-quantifiable and ambiguous or controversial
The Lewis Committee on educational survey, 1947: MIT shouldemphasise four general areas of education and each area to be organised
as separate school with its own dean Engineering science, Science, Architecture and Planning and HSS
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Locating Humanities & Social Sciences in Institutes of
Technology: Ravinder Kaur
MIT Known both for its engineers and social scientists
MIT tried to humanise the scientist, Harvard tried to scienticise the Humanist
Undergrad curriculum in US students have almost free choice of electives spanning artsand sciences
Need to question the doctrine of ethical neutrality in sciernce and technology led tocreating space for HSS in technical institutions
Example: the rationality/irrationality of Vietnam war led to, for instance, creation ofprogramme ofValues, Technology and Science at Stanford University
HSS disciplines provide context for societal understanding, cultural trainingunderstanding of moral issues and ambiguity
Exm: failure of big technology like large dams, ethical questions in genetic engineering ledto questioning the assumed value neutrality of science and technology
IITs based themselves on MIT model
Sarkar committee (1946): existing engg colleges fail to integrate science, engg andhumanities
IITs to overcome this lacunae and strong departments of science and humanities to beestablished with status camparable to engg deptt.
Not see HSS as service model as was the approach of traditional engineering departments
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Locating Humanities & Social Sciences in Institutes of
Technology: Ravinder Kaur
Service Model of HSS
In service model of HSS disciplines chosen on perceivedusefulness For example, in a society like India with variable English language skills and a
perceived linkage between good English language skills and professional success,English as language teaching takes on an important role
So, courses in communication skill (technical communication) and its technocounterpart, language lab, accepted unquestionable in technology institutes
Language lab expected to provide finishing school effect to the immaturegawky engineering students
Psychology lab also has similar appeal
Of social sciences economics seen as more useful, acquainting students withworld of commerce and industry
Economics, due to its mathematical and statistical tools, finds easier acceptanceand considered to be harder while other disciplines are considered to be soft
Economists enjoy higher prestige than even engineers!
Nigam and Indiresan: last 2-3 decades no engineer has been a member ofPlanning Commission though engineers are responsible for 80 percent of theplanned expenditure. In industry, climb to the top through sales, marketing andfinance, not engineering ladders.
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Locating Humanities & Social Sciences in Institutes of Technology:
Ravinder Kaur
Hence, economics with its linkage with policy making and running governmentsis reluctantly given respect in otherwise marginal HSS departments
In NITs even economics is reduced to commerce with token course in accounting
Understanding of core economics is unavailable to students
Accounting is seen as useful part of economics
The discipline is bifurcated into useful and non-useful aspects
Useful aspect is perceived to contribute directly to skill development
Management studies, seen as key to managing human resources, has been on therise across the globe
Deadly combination of B. Tech and Management degrees propel young engineersto lucrative management positions
Following the logic of market, most engineering institutes have introduced
management courses If there is no independent department, then management courses are floated
through disciplines such as economics, psychology, sociology and philosophy
In such scenario, HSS department has been reduced to specialized cells dealingwith technical communication, organizational behaviour, managerialeconomics, industrial sociology, professional ethics
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Locating Humanities & Social Sciences in Institutes of Technology:
Ravinder Kaur
The love affair with management studies may last as long as market is
convinced that it has something to deliver Wall Street is also showing preferences for PhD in pure sciences
Service model of HSS has a hard time accommodating its core disciplineson their own merits
Where such disciplines survive they tend to get internally split into their
useful and non-useful components Thus destroying such split takes away the essence that makes them the
source of critical questioning and thoughts
Core Model
IITs from their inception have followed a non-service model of HSS Core model avoids demonstrating practical usefulness
Sees training of students as an integrated effort
Distinction between imparting training and imparting education in theclassical sense
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Locating Humanities & Social Sciences in Institutes of
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Curriculum is not need driven or market driven
All HSS disciplines find their own merit as reflection and understanding onsociety and human condition
Teach students to develop a framework of rational enquiry, criticalevaluation, judgments and decisions when dealing with a range of issues
HSS disciplines allow the students to hold a mirror to society and to oneself
Have full-fledged PhD programmes on par with engineering and sciencedepartments
High faculty competence and IIT HSS faculty producing research ofinternational standards
In structuring of departments IITs have followed two models: one withcombination of core courses and electives and other with only electives
The faculty members have freedom to design and float new courses withsystem of internal evaluation allows faculty to innovate and upgrade whatthey teach
The interdisciplinary nature of these departments further source of strengthand fecundity
L i H i i & S i l S i i I i f
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Status of HSS vis--vis Science & Engineering
Has the spirit of the core model been sustained?
If not, what are the reasons for decline or marginalization of HSSdepartment in these elite institutions?
It is shortsighted to think that knowledge is divisible into useful/useless
Yet, there is a hierarchical ranking between the knowledge provided byengineering and science disciplines and HSS
Structurally in engineering institutes HSS departments occupy marginal andnot poor position
o Faculty size is small (irrespective of faculty strength, students have to be taught)
o No direct concern with many affairs of the institutes (entrance examination,science and engineering R&D activity)
o Students are there to acquire degree in engineering, not in HSS
o Inappropriate time slotting
Many HSS faculty imbibe this marginality
As a result they tend to be academically less demanding in terms of grades,
attendance etc.
Locating Humanities & Social Sciences in Institutes of
Technology: Ravinder Kaur
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Students also internalise the characterisation of HSS courses as soft, lightand easy
Pick electives which yields good grades and a professor who is not fussy aboutattendance
At the same time there are students who feel HSS courses are the only courseswhich they enjoy with good teachers and interesting subject matters
The possibility of classes being interactive and discussion based and subjectsperceived as being useful and helping in their overall development of thestudents attract many engineering students to HSS courses
RECs, converted to NITs, have also adopted the core model of HSS disciplines
Two Cultures: The University and the Institute
There is differential structure and character of the university and the institute Different organizational structure promote different kind of work culture
While university framework promotes democracy, dissent, openness,discussion and debate, technology institutes are more regimented, insulated,apolitical, hierarchical and authoritarian (fear of bad grades hinders any
questioning of authority)
Locating Humanities & Social Sciences in Institutes of
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Technological institutes considered as places of highly specialised training
Universities known as the locus of production of knowledge in all disciplines(which allows scope for exploration and critical questioning)
Institutes has to remodel itself as university where space is created for freedomto read, think, research and teach in respective disciplines
Although institute and faculty imagine themselves as free of ideology, they
tend to be conservative in their outlook In general, they try to remain isolated from the outside world
Still several IITians have broken out of the mould and taken to activism ofvarious kinds
Even some have opted out of conventional engineering careers by taking up
development related issues While appreciating the role of engineers in society and making science useful
to society, C. P. Snow asked whether engineer was merely an ignorantspecialist
The mutual ignorance of scientist/engineer and literary/social science person
would be disastrous
Locating Humanities & Social Sciences in Institutes of
Technology: Ravinder Kaur
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Science and humanity need to inform each other about their concerns
For example, ecology, biotechnology, IPR issues, large dams and developmentdebate, etc.
Joint courses would serve to sensitize the students to social, technical andenvironmental dimensions of the issue
Faculty members of HSS departments need to highlight the social context and
framework of technology Engineers need to understand that science is a human enterprise; hence, can
not be ideology free
Technology has power to do both good and harm
Hence, becomes doubly necessary keep the dialogue going among natural
scientists, social scientists and engineers and technologists
Locating Humanities & Social Sciences in Institutes of
Technology: Ravinder Kaur