POL 507-1 Power, Change and Technology

Fall 2011 Monday: 11:00-1:00 (RCC 201) Wednesday: 9:00-10:00 (EPH 142) Course Instructor: Tanner Mirrlees, PhD. Office: JORG 729 Office Hours: Monday 3pm-5pm; Wednesday 10am-10:50am) Email: tmirrlee@politics.ryerson.ca Phone: 416-979-5000 X6053

General Course Description . How does technology shape culture and society? How does it shape us? On what basis are decisions made in a technological society? What type of future will modern technology create? Who is in control? This course will examine the impact of technology on cultural, economic and political life in modern society. The political implications of future developments in reproductive and biotechnologies, global communications, automation, etc., will be evaluated. Specific Course Description: This course examines the nexus of technology and social power relations and considers how technology both limits and enables change, past and present. The course provides students with an overview of the core philosophical perspectives, contexts and ethical debates in the study of technology and power. It intends to foster a critical understanding of the relationship of various technologies to states, corporations, and civil society. The course begins by introducing the concept of power and then explores the dominant philosophical-ideological perspectives on technology and society. We consider the arguments of technological determinists and technological instrumentalists, optimists and pessimists. Following an introduction to these perspectives, we examine technological development as part of a complex social shaping process. We explore the institutional contexts in which technology is produced and the political and economic forces that shape technological research and development. Having established a firm grounding in the general philosophy and political-economy of technology, we then move on to review a number of case studies of particular technologies and power. We examine biotechnologies, artificial intelligence and human cloning; industrial technologies, automation and work; surveillance technologies, databases, and national security; weapons technology, war and the militaryindustrial-techno complex; information and communication technology and new media.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
On completion of this course the student will be able to: 1. Evaluate key philosophies of technology, power and change (determinism and instrumentalism, optimism and pessimism) 2. Describe how technology is an instrument of political and economic governance with attention to historical context(s). 3. Analyze how technology is socially shaped by political and economic power relations to gain an understanding not just of how technology impacts society, but how technology is developed in society. 4. Use the social shaping of technology (SST) methodology to evaluate a specific technologys development and influence. 5. Exercise independent analytical and critical thinking skills to evaluate the impact of technology on society, and vice versa.

Required Course Materials

Journal articles (available for download on the Web)

Method of Instruction:
2 Hour Lecture + 1 Hour Seminar

Evaluation

3 1) Essay #1. Due: Wednesday October 12, 2011 (in-class). Paper instructions posted on Blackboard. Grade Value: 15% 2) Essay #2. Paper topics and instructions posted on Blackboard. Due: Wednesday November 30, 2011 (in-class). Grade Value: 25% 3) Mid-Term Test. A test including multiple choice questions, short answer questions and key concept questions (the exam will cover all course lectures and articles in first half of the course). Scheduled: Grade Value: 30% Scheduled: Monday October 24, 2011 (in class, 2 hours). 4) Final Exam. An examination including short answers, definitions of key concepts, and an essay question (the exam will cover all course lectures and articles assigned throughout the second half of the course). Grade Value: 30% Scheduled: Fall 2011 Examination Period (2 hours).

Weekly Reading Schedule

Date 1 Wed. Sept. 7 2 Mon Sept. 12/Wed Sept. 14 3 Mon Sept. 19/Wed Sept. 21 What is Technology? How is Technology part of Culture and Society? Feenberg, A. (2010). Ten Paradoxes of Technology. (http://www.sfu.ca/~andrewf/paradoxes.pdf) Postman, N (1985) Excerpts from Amusing Ourselves to Death. (http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Broadcast_Media/Amu singOurselves_Postman.html) Turkle, S. (2004). How Computers Change the Way We Think (http://web.mit.edu/sturkle/www/pdfsforstwebpage/Turkle_ how_computers_change_way_we_think.pdf) Parker-Pope, T (2010). An Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brainsi de.html) Richtel, M. (2010). Attached to Technology and Paying a Price. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.h tml) Topic Readings Introduction to Course

Philosophical Perspectives on Society and Technology: Technological Instrumentalism and Technological Determinism

4 Richtel, M (2010). Growing up Digital, Wired for Distraction (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/technology/21brain.h tml?_r=1) Carr, E. (2010). Is Google Making us Stupid? (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/isgoogle-making-us-stupid/6868/) Tenner, E. (1997) Another Look Back, and a Look Ahead. (http://pcl2009.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/tennera2.pdf) Pinker, Stephen (2010) Mind over Media. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/opinion/11Pinker.ht ml) De Melo Martin, I. (2002) On Cloning Human Beings. Bioethics, 16(3):246-65. Thompson, C. (2010) What is I.B.M.s Watson? (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/magazine/20Comput er-t.html) Vance, A. (2010) Merely Human? Thats so Yesterday. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/business/13sing.htm l) 6 Mon Oct. 10 (no class)/ Wed. Oct. 12 The Social Shaping of Scientific Innovation: Funding Organizations, Scientific Fraud, Marketing Science, Spinning and Scientific Censorship Essay #1 Due in class Wednesday October 12. Screening: The Future of Cloning; Interview with a Robot UCS (200) Smoke, Mirrors and Hot Air. (http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warmin g/exxon_report.pdf) CSPI [2009] Big Oil U. (http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/bigoilu.pdf) Screening: Smoke and CO2

4 Mon Sept. 26/Wed Sept. 28 5 Mon Oct. 3/Wed. Sept. 5

Ideologies of Influence: Technological Optimism (Progress Toward Utopia) and Technological Pessimism (Devolution Toward Dystopia The Ethics of BioTechnology: Cloning, Artificial Intelligence, Cyborgs and Robots

The Political, Economic and Cultural Shaping of Mon Oct. Technology: The Social 17/Wed. History of the Apple iPod Sept. 19

5 Larsonn and Nordstrom (2004) Cultural Marketing Why iPod? A Case Study. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/8688101/Cultural-MarketingAnalysis-Why-iPod-A-Case-Study) Hartley, M. (2009) How the iPod Changed Everything (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/downl oad-decade/how-the-ipod-changedeverything/article1133329/) Brea, J. (2009) Your Computer is Killing the Congo: Electronics and Blood Minerals (http://www.theroot.com/views/your-computer-killingcongo) Screening: I am a Mac and Ive got a Dirty Secret.

8 Mon Oct. 24

Mid-Term Test

Mid-Term Test

9 Mon Oct. 31/Wed. Nov. 2

Technology, Capitalism, and the Way we Work From The Industrial Revolution, to the Information Economy; Taylorism, Labour Saving Technologies and Automation

Pynchon, T. (1984) Is it okay to be a Luddite? (http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/pynchon_essay s_luddite.html) Stewart, M. (2006) The Management Myth (http://pareto.uab.es/fsancho/The%20Management %20Myth.pdf) Rifkin, J. (2000) The End of Work, 5 Years Later. (http://www.jobsletter.org.nz/art/rifkin05.htm) Hof, R. (2007) The End of Work as You Know it. (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_34/ b4047426.htm).

10 Mon Nov. 7/Wed Nov. 9

Network Technology and Participatory Surveillance Markets: The Case of Facebook

Screening: Modern Times Albrechtslund, A. (2008) Online Social Networking as Participatory Surveillance. (http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/ article/viewArticle/2142/1949) Hodgkinson, T. (2008). With Friends Like These (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/14/facebo

6 ok)

11 14 Mon Nov. 14/Wed. Nov. 16

Surveillance Technology and the National Security State: Big Brothers Little Brothers (and the case of Wikileaks)

ACLU (2004) The Surveillance-Industrial Complex: How the U.S. Government is Conscripting Business and Individuals in the Construction of a Surveillance Society (http://www.aclu.org/FilesPDFs/surveillance_report.pdf) The Economist (2010). Unpluggable. http://www.economist.com/node/17633606 Screening: The List and Wikirebels

12 Mon Nov. 21/Wed Nov. 23

New Media and Political Communication: Democratic Renewal or Deficit?

Gurevitch, M., Coleman, S., and Blumler, J. (2009) Political Communication: Old and New Media Relationships. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 625 (1): 164-181. Winner, L. (2005) Technological Euphoria and Contemporary Citizenship (http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/SPT/v9n1/winner.html) Gladwell, M. (2010) Small Change. (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004f a_fact_gladwell)

13 Mon. Nov. 28/Wed. Nov. 30

MIME-NET and Video Games at War

Stahl, R. (2007). Have you Played the War on Terror? (http://laurier.communicationstudies.ca/files/stahl_played_ war.pdf) Van der Graf, S. and Neiborg, D. (2003) Together We Brand: Americas Army. (http://www.shenja.org/Site/playlist_files/TogetherWeBran d_2003.pdf) Screening: Americas Army USA

Essay # 2 Due Wednesday November 30

14 Friday Dec. 2 (11am1pm)

War and Weapons Technology

Harris, J. (2004) Dreams of Global Hegemony and the Technology of War. Race and Class, 45 (2): 5467. Foster, J.B., Holleman, H. and McChesney, R. W. (2008) The U.S. Imperial Triangle and Military Spending. Monthly Review. (http://www.monthlyreview.org/081001fosterholleman-mcchesney.php)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Late assignments: Students are expected to complete all assignments within the time frames and by the dates indicated in this outline. Late assignments will be penalized 5% per day late. I will not accept an assignment that is more than 7 days late. Make-Up Exams: Should a student miss a mid-term test or equivalent (e.g. studio or presentation), with appropriate documentation, a make-up will be scheduled as soon as possible in the same semester. Deferral of an examination is only permitted for a medical or personal emergency, due to religious observance, or on sympathetic grounds that must be discussed with me (at least one week in advance of the assignment due date). Assignment Submission All course assignments must be submitted for evaluation at the beginning of the lecture in which the assignment is due. If you show up at the end of lecture and submit the assignment, you will automatically receive a 5% late penalty. Grade Posting and Re-evaluation - Student grades for each assignment will be available usually within 14 days of the submission date. I will post essay and test grades in an excel file on Blackboard. Should you wish to contest a grade attributed to your assignment, you must submit a request in writing to me (email is fine), no more than three days after the assignment has been handed back to you. I will only consider your request for re-evaluation if you provide a compelling account of why you believe your assignment deserves a higher grade than the one given to it. Course Drop: If you want to drop the course and receive a full refund, you must do so by the 4th class (drop without academic penalty, 8th class). Email Policy: I check my Ryerson email account regularly. I will respond as promptly as possible to your messages. You must communicate with me using your Ryerson email account. For more information on Ryersons academic policies, visit the Academic Council website at www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil.

STUDENT ACADEMIC CONDUCT

Plagiarism: The Ryerson Student Code of Academic Conduct defines plagiarism and the sanctions against students who plagiarize. All Chang School students are strongly encouraged to go to the academic integrity website at www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity and complete the tutorial on plagiarism. Academic Integrity: Ryerson University and The Chang School are committed to the principles of academic integrity as outlined in the Student Code of Academic Conduct. Students are strongly encouraged to review the student guide to academic integrity, including penalties for misconduct, on the academic integrity website at www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity and the Student Code of Academic Conduct at www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/policies

8 Students are advised to familiarize themselves with the University policy on Student Academic conduct. See www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/current/pol60.pdf : Policy 60 - Student Code of Academic Conduct.

IMPORTANT LEARNING RESOURCES

Use the services of the University when you are having problems writing, editing or researching papers, or when you need help with course material: The Library (LIB 2nd floor) provides research workshops and individual assistance. Enquire at the Reference Desk or at www.ryerson.ca/library/info/workshops.html The Writing Centre (LIB 272- B) offers one-on-one tutorial help with writing and workshops www.ryerson.ca/writingcentre/workshops.htm Learning Success Centre (VIC B-15) offers individual sessions and workshops covering various aspects of researching, writing, and studying www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/learningsuccess/seminars/ English Language Support (VIC B-17) offers workshops to improve overall communication skills www.ryerson.ca/studentservices/els/