COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course explores the inter-relationship between technological, cultural, and social change from the dawn of the Industrial Revolution to the age of the Internet. Beginning with the rise of modern factory production and concluding with the communication revolutions of the late twentieth (and early twenty-first) century it focuses on the ways in which particular technological developments have shaped, altered, and affected social and cultural change in the United States, Europe, and throughout the world. Specific topics include: the development of modern agricultural technologies and the mechanization of labor; energy production; skyscrapers; logistics and consumption; industrial planning; medical science; surveillance technologies; and visions of the dystopian future, among others. Students who complete this course will develop a working knowledge of the social and cultural origins of technological transformations as well as an understanding of the manner in which technological devices and knowledge are transferred and adapted by societies across the globe.

+++

About this Web Site: technology : culture : society is part of SPOKE Educational Network, Inc. (SPOKE-Network™). It is the central on-line repository for browsing materials, media resources, instructional policies, the class blog, and other virtual information related to both the meat-world and online versions of the course bearing the same name. If you are among the lucky masses currently enrolled in “technology : culture : society,” this site contains everything you require for a successful and enjoyable journey. Please be sure to check-in regularly as the contents of this site will be updated on a frequent basis.