The purpose of this module is to analyze how technology affects human concepts of society, culture, and the self. The focus is on key concepts of how new technologies (past, present and future) impact upon our world and our conception of ourselves.
Theories of Technology
Key theories and concepts of technology studies. Technology in Greek philosophy. Marxism and the industrial revolution. Technological determinism. Kuhn's paradigms. The two cultures argument.
Representations of Technology
How technology is represented in media and culture e.g. literature, cinema, traditional and digital media, the arts. Science fiction utopias and dystopias. Popular culture and popular science.
Computers and Computation
History of computing. Fundamental concepts. Algorithms. Artificial intelligence and neural networks. Concepts of human and machine consciousness. Artificial life. The technological singularity.
Technology and the Body
Biotechnology. Bioethics and bio-power. Gender and identity. Transforming the human. Wearable computing. Virtual and augmented realities. Post-humanism.
The Networked World
Origins of the Internet. Cyberspace and social media. Michel Foucault and panopticism. Surveillance and systems of control. Big data. The quantified self.
Emerging Media and Technology
Current and future trends in digital media and technology will be analyzed and discussed. Examples of current technologies of interest would be 3D printing, the Internet of Things and crypto-currencies.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |