Spring 2018 - IAT 803 G100

Science, Technology & Culture (3)

Class Number: 12617

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 3 – Apr 10, 2018: Thu, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
    Surrey

  • Prerequisites:

    SIAT Graduate Student.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces the core values of interdisciplinary scholarship through engagement with history, theory and practice in the study of science, technology, society and culture. This course will be a reading-intensive, extended seminar style investigation of theoretical and historical references in science and technology studies and broader societal implications of technologies.

COURSE DETAILS:

Interdisciplinary Engagements with Science, Technology, Society and Culture introduces SIAT graduate students to core values of interdisciplinary scholarship through engagement with history, theory and practice in the study of science, technology, society and culture. This course provides a foundational theoretical and historical engagement with literature reflecting interdisciplinary approaches to technology design and use in contemporary society. The course will be a reading-intensive, extended seminar style investigation of theoretical and historical references in science and technology studies and broader societal implications of technologies. It will provide each cohort with critical thinking, reading, and writing foundation for future research and design practices. The course is designed to complement core SIAT courses in Research Design and Computation. The course will address questions such as: How have people been thinking and writing critically about technology, today and in the past? What counts as knowledge in the Arts and Humanities? What counts as knowledge in the Sciences? How can scholars trace their ideas back to those that preceded them in various knowledge traditions? What are some of the major assumptions that underlie how knowledge is produced in diverse disciplines? What are the extra “costs” and “benefits” of interdisciplinary work? Where do knowledge traditions merge and converge, and where/how are they in tension with one another? What are the broader implications of scientific and technological practices for society––for example, our understandings of concepts of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, conflict, and history? What are some of the current implications for designers in today’s societal contexts?Students will engage with theory and case studies of how technology and society are intertwined and its implications for the design and use of technology in today’s society. They will be able to apply what they have learned in this course to their chosen field of study.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

1. Lead and participate in seminar discussions
2. Contribute written responses throughout the course on the class blog
3. Critically engage with course readings and media screenings
4. Select and investigate a topic relevant to their research/practice
5.Submit a final project that build on a particular theoretical definition and results in a final paper on a specified topic.

Grading

  • Response Paper 15%
  • Seminar Presentation 15%
  • Project Proposal 10%
  • Term Paper 45%
  • Participation 15%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

"Science, Technology & Society:  A Sociological Approach" (2005) by Wenda K. Bauchspies, Jennifer Croissant, Sal Restivo; 1st Edition; Wiley-Blackwell
ISBN: 9780631232100

"Brave New World" (2006) by Aldous Huxley; Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ISBN: 9780060850524

"1984" (2017) by George Orwell; Penguin Canada
ISBN: 9780735234611

Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS