History of Technology in Society

Catalog description

From hand tools, stirrups, and windmills to lasers, batteries, and biotechnology, human history and technology can only be understood together. This course explores the ways in which technology has shaped human society. It focuses on important themes, including the Industrial Revolution, infrastructure, and the historical relationship between technological experts (including engineers, technologists, and scientists), society, and the state. The course pays particular attention to technology’s social and historical consequences; the human and environmental contexts of technological infrastructures; and historical debates over what constitutes an ethical model of technological innovation. It covers the historical and modern development of professions based on technology, including those requiring licensure. In this way, the course provides a critical perspective for an informed approach to technology and society in the modern world.