Innovation Cultures: Perspectives on Science and Technology
Duration:
1 Teaching Period
Unit Code:
MDA10006
Contact Hours:
Recommended 10 hours of study per week
About this unit
This unit examines the relationship between science, technology and culture with a particular emphasis on communications technology. Furthermore, it draws on key theoretical paradigms such as the Actor Network Theory, the Political Economy, and Linguistic models to interrogate and further Marshall McLuhan’s contention that, “We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us”. This unit also provides students with the historical context and critical perspective essential for further study and a more rounded learning experience.
Content
- What is the relationship between media, science and technology?
- Why is technological progress synonymous with a better life?
- What part did science and technology play in the emergence of key epochs?
- What are the tensions between Western Science and indigenous values?
- How are science and technology depicted in the media?
- What is the relationship between science, technology and objective reality?
- What was the impact of broadcast media on culture?
- What do portrayals of science and technology in fiction suggest about society?
- What happens when Old and New Media collide?
- Has the web achieved an ideal Public Sphere?
- What impact have Digital Technologies had on society?
- How can we use the past to predict future shifts in Science, Technology and Culture?
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