Revolutionary Technologies

Catalog description

The goal of this course is to help students deepen their theoretical and historical perspective on social change and the relationship between social change and technology. We will read a range of revolutionary thinkers including, but not limited to, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Antonio Gramsci, Stuart Hall, Mahatma Gandhi, E.F. Schumacher and Frantz Fanon. We will study their theories of revolution and the underlying tensions within the division of labor in society, and discuss the role that technology can play in forming and reforming these social relations. We will use this as a lens to reflect both upon existing technology and the underlying relations that create and sustain it, as well as to envision new technological possibilities supported by (and supporting) alternative forms of human organization. Coursework will consist of significant reading, regular reading reflections, design exercises and a final course project.