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Time Schedule:
Robin Datta
POL S 410
Seattle Campus
Relationships between politics, technological change, and development of multinational corporations. Considers whether the relations between political and economic systems of industrial societies have been fundamentally altered by the increased importance and interdependence of government, experts, and new technological possibilities for intervention in social life.
Class description
Robert Pool argues, in his Beyond Engineering: How Technology Shapes Society , that "modern technology is like a Great Dane in a small apartment. It may be friendly, but you still want to make sure there's nothing breakable within reach. So to protect the china and crystal, governmental bodies, special interest groups, businesses, and even individuals [demand] an increasing say in how technologies are developed and applied." This course, offered as a seminar, will explore the complex relations between Pool's Great Dane, the apartment, and the inhabitants of that apartment— between technology, society, politics, and policy. It begins with an examination of theories of technology, proceeds to a consideration of the impact of technology on society, and concludes with a focus on contemporary technological conundrums that place demands on policy.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Text: The following required texts are available in the UW Book Store: Albert H. Teich (Ed), Technology and the Future, 9th Edition; Bruce Bimber, Information and American Democracy: Technology in theEvolution of Political Power; John Street, Politics and Technology. Additional readings will be placed on Electronic Reserve.
Class assignments and grading
Grades: Course grade will be based on: A short Response Paper; A presentation on a contemporary technology policy question; Seminar Leadership and Participation; Final Exam.
