The aim of this module is to introduce some of the key thinkers and debates on the ways in which new technologies are reshaping cultural forms and practices. In addition, the module will address issues related to the representation of science and technology in culture in an attempt to explore the ways in which popular discourse, in turn, is responding to recent advances in scientific knowledge.
The Media in History
Historical development and dissemination of communications technologies (oral, scribal, print,electronic digital and postdigital cultures); technical versus social determinist positions; Medium theory strengths and limitations; Theoretical perspectives on digital culture; relations of power, control and resistance;
The Body, Technology and Society
The Posthuman turn,cybernetics and the quantified self ; the ubiquity and significance of machine vision in everyday culture; algorithms and culture; cyberfeminist perspectives; technology, thought and consciousness; an introduction to object oriented ontology
Cultural and Artistic Responses
The emergence of science as a ‘way of knowing’; the ‘two cultures’ debate; Art’s engagement with science and technology: Representations and archetypes of the Scientist on screen; Key archetypes and their historical foundations; science on screen as a venue for discourse about the ethical use and social force of science; critical analyses of key texts from film, television, computer games, literature and/or art.
The module is delivered through a combination of lectures, discussion and readings.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 50 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 50 |