CSOn4011 Culture, Technology and Society

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2023
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Dr. Werner Binder (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Ing. Radim Marada, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Ing. Radim Marada, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Mon 18:00–19:40 U41
Prerequisites
No special prerequisites
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 6/20, only registered: 0/20, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 12 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Culture as the realm of meaningful human activity has often been juxtaposed with technology as an area of meaningless mechanical interaction. Cultural sociologists have argued against this opposition, exploring instead the intricate relations between technology on the one hand and meanings and culture on the other hand. Likewise, scholars from science and technology studies have started to question the distinction between the social and the technological – some even put human actors and non-human actors on par. This course offers an introduction into the sociology and cultural sociology of technology highlighting the social meanings contemporary technological phenomena. The first half on the course will be devoted to the study of classic texts and contemporary (cultural) sociological approaches to technology, the second half deals with current technologies and their social and cultural relevance, with a strong empirical focus on bio-technologies and artificial intelligence.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, students should be able to:
- identify and summarize core arguments of sociological and non-sociological texts;
- demonstrate their knowledge of different approaches to technology within sociology;
- analyze the social and cultural relevance of contemporary technological phenomena
Syllabus
  • I Organizational Meeting
  • II Technology as Symbolic Form
  • III Technology as Disenchantment
  • IV Technology as Enchantment
  • V Sociotechnical Imaginaries
  • VI Technology as Delegation
  • Reading Week
  • VII Biotechnology I
  • VIII Biotechnology II
  • IX Biotechnology III
  • X Artificial Intelligence I
  • XI Artificial Intelligence II
  • XII Artificial Intelligence III
Literature
  • Mostly recent articles from thematically relevant academic journals
Teaching methods
Readings, lectures, class discussion, presentations in class and indpendent research essays and papers.
Assessment methods
1. Participation in class – 15% 2. Presentation in class or final essay (due December 31) – 15% 3. Final paper (due January 31) – 70%
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Teacher's information
All relevant information and readings can be found in the interactive Syllabus in IS prior to the start of the seminar.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2021.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2023/CSOn4011