Spring 2013

University of California, Berkeley

Interdisciplinary Studies

ISF 100D: Introduction to Technology, Society, and Culture

Professor Renate Holub

Assistants: Dorothy Bevard, MA Brian Folk, PH.D Candidate, Sociology

T, Th 12:30-2:00 120 Latimer Course control: 45515

Office Hours: T, Th 10:30-12:00 sign-up sheet and by appointment 269 Evans

Course Description: This is an interdisciplinary course that welcomes students of all disciplinary backgrounds. In it, we will focus on three major technological paradigms which have emerged over the past 200 years in the transatlantic worlds. We will begin by linking fundamental principles of the scientific revolutions of the 17th century to the normative and conceptual framework of the industrial revolutions of the 19th century. We will then trace the essential institutional features of the three technological paradigms: industrial revolution, transportation and communication revolution, and information-technological revolution. In this context we will discuss the interrelations between technology, industrialization, urbanization, and the emergence of the culture industry and critically reflect on the impacts of a variety of technologies [automobility, telephony, aviation, communications technologies, TV, media, satellites--] on the structures of social organizations in the global north (Europe and North

America). This will include discussions of the integration of technological innovations in the two world wars which defined the 20th century. In part III we will examine the evolution and structure of new technologies, such as the internet, and their impacts on cultures and societies in a variety of global regions. Here we are not only interested in the integration of communication and information technologies in the organization of the new economy [economic globalization]. We are also interested in linking technological facts to the democratic expansion or contraction of knowledge opportunities, economic opportunities, and rights opportunities for citizens around the world. Working from a comparative and global perspective, students are encouraged to do their own research on currently emerging cutting edge technologies in relation to practices of sustainability, human rights, peace, global democracy, and other topics. The intellectual purpose of the course is to provide students not only with a grounded understanding of the technological forces which have shaped modernity, postmodernity, and globalization, but also to raise theoretical questions about the relations which obtain between producers and users [active and passive] of technology under conditions of both the industrial age and the information age. The educational goal of the course is to equip you, the students, with an interdisciplinary methodological perspective, in the context of which will be able to examine a problem from multiple perspectives and frameworks drawn from cultural, social, political, economic, geopolitical, and technological theories Our discussions will be guided by important theoretical texts, including texts by Theodore Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Manuel Castells, Antonio Gramsci, David Harvey, Renate Holub, Max Horkheimer, Kevin Kelly, Manfred Max-Nefs , Karl Marx, Saskia Sassen, Vandana Shiva, Joseph Stiglitz, Sherry Turkle, Siva Vaidhyanathan and others. Satisfies the International Studies or Social and Behavioral Studies Breadth Requirement

Requirements: Class attendance (20), One Short Paper (10%) One Midterm Exam (30%) and One Final Exam (40%). The Midterm Exam will consist of 20 questions [study questions will be posted on b-space on a weekly basis] to be answered with 4-6 short sentences, and 5 paragraphs from the required readings to be identified with brief comments. The Final Exam will consist of essay questions. Study Questions for Final Exam Essays will be handed out after Midterm Exam on a weekly basis. Students will form study groups and discuss the b-space study questions under a study group facilitator on a weekly basis. Study group facilitators will get extra credit. In addition, ISF students, or prospective ISF students, who would like to pursue their own original research in the context of this course, are encouraged to develop a research project in preparation for their senior thesis.

Proposals for ISF Research Topics are due on February 7, 2013

In the past, students have focused on the following topics: The study of environmental protection technologies in a variety of global regions [Latin America, Africa, Russia, India]; the role of the Internet in the successful reorganization of developing economies; Censorship (Digital Liberty), Internet Governance, Open Source Movement; Telesur and Al-Jazeera; the Significance of Wireless Telephony Penetration in Highly Populous Global Regions; Broadband and Politics in South Korea and Spain; Silicon Valley in India and Africa; Global Satellite Systems, Galileo System etc; Global trade and stock markets in the internet age; New Media in China; Technology in International Human Rights in Global Politics; Technologies of Violence: Droning the Skies; Wireless in the 3 rd World; Internet, New Media, and Democracy etc. Some students bring their laptops to class. If you do so, please do not inconvenience and/or disturb students surrounding you. Unfortunately, there will be no extensions and incompletes. If you fail to take the exams, you will receive an F for each exam you missed. Student Athletes are required to hand in schedule of absences as approved by University Athletics Policy by the end of second week of classes. While we receive official notification about disability accommodations, we would appreciate nonetheless if you let us know your status at your earliest convenience.

Required Books: Kevin Kelly, What Technology Wants 2010 Sherry Turkle, Alone Together [why we expect more from technology and less from each other] 2011 Siva Vaidhyanathan The Googlization of Everything [and why we should worry] 2012

Suggested Reading and/or youtube Interviews/Documentaries 1. Castells, Manuel The Internet Galaxy 2. Harvey, David [1989] The Condition of Postmodernity 3. Castells, Manuel (2009) Communication Power 4. Sassen, Saskia (2007) The Sociology of Globalization 5. Shiva, Vandana (2006) Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability, Peace 6. Joseph Stiglitz, (2010) America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy

7. Manfred Max-Neefs (2011)

Above print publications All available on reserve in Moffit Selective Bibliography: Abbate, Janet (2000) Inventing the Internet Atton, Chris (2004) An Alternative Internet. Radical Media, Politics and Creativity Borgmann, Christine (2000) From Gutenberg to the Global Information Infrastructure Campbell Kelly, Martin and William Aspray (1996) Computer: A History Castells, Manuel (1997) The Rise of the Network Society Castells, Manuel (2001) The Internet Galaxy Castells, Manuel [2007) Mobile Communication and Society, A Global Perspective Chester, Jeff (2007) Digital Destiny. New Media and the Future of Democracy De Angelis, Massimo (2007) The Beginning of History. Value Struggles and Global Capital. El-Nawawy, Mohammed and Adel Iskandar, (2003) Al-Jazeera Fischer, Claude (1992) America Calling Flink, James The Automobile Age Himanen, Pekka (2001) The Hacker Ethic Lecher, Frank J and John Boli, Eds (2000) The Globalization Reader McLuhan,Marshall (1963) The Gutenberg Galaxy Mestrovic, Stjepan (1997) Postemotional Society Polanyi, Karl (1944) The Great Transformation

Syllabus For Part I and Part II, read Kevin Kellys What Technology Wants

Part I From Industrial Capitalisms to Informational Capitalisms

Jan 22

Lecture 1: Paradigms of Modernity: Conditions and Consequences of Scientific Revolutionaries and Liberation Philosophers

Jan 24

Lecture 2: Technology and Capitalisms: 1850 Reading on b-space: Part I of Marxs Communist Manifesto

Jan 29 Jan 31 Feb 5

Lecture 3: Transportation and Communication Lecture 4: 1910 or Transatlantic Exceptionality Lecture 5: The Phantom of the Operator

Part II Progress, Propaganda, Styles of Life, Feb 7 Lecture 6: Automobility and the Transformation of Social Space Reading on b-space: Bernays on Propaganda Feb 12 4 pp paper due Lecture 7: Taylorism, Americanism, Fordism Reading on b-space: Gramsci on Americanism and Fordism Feb 14 Lecture 8: Total Wars, Nuclear Bombs, Weapons, and Drones Reading/Viewing: Stalingrad [tba] Feb 19 Lecture 9: 1945: The Culture Industry or the Scientific Crafting of the Consumer Reading b-space, Benjamin, Renate Holub, Horkheimer and Adorno Feb 21 Lecture 10: Accomodations and Resistence in Theory and Practice The Cold War, Student Movements, Womens Movements

Feb 26 Lecture 11: [9, 10, 11, 12] Review: Telephony, Automobility, Aviation, Radio, TV in a 20th century energy paradigm Viewing: Jeremy Rifkin The Third Industrial Revolution [Canadian TV] on the web

Feb 28

Lecture 12: Transitions: from the West to the Rest of the World The New Economy

Viewing: Jeremy Rifkin, The Third Industrial Revolution Part III: Towards the Global Age : Between Transnational Dystopias, Populistic Dreams, Critical Projects and the Energy Question March 5 Lecture 13: 1989 or Global Normalcy

Reading on b-space : David Harvey, Contraction of Space and Time

March 7

Lecture 14: The Internet and the Information Age Reading on b-space: Castells

March 12 March 14 March 19 March 21

Lecture 15: Informationalism and Developing Global Regions Review Midterm Lecture 16: The Internet, Occupy, the Arab Springs, and Beyond

Spring Recess [read Vaidhyanathan and Turkle]

April 2

Lecture 17: The Googlization of Everything Reading: Siva Vaidhyanathan The Googlization of Everything

April 4 April 9

Lecture 18: Hacker Ethics and The Future of Knowledge Transmission Lecture 19: Together or Alone? Reading: Sherry Turkle Together Alone

April 11

Lecture 20: Defending Rights in the Digital World I Reading: Wikileaks

April 16

Lecture 21: Defending Rights in the Digital World II Reading: on b-space Pamela Samuelson

April 18

Lecture 22: Climate Change, Epidemics, Food and Water Security Reading: b-space Vandana Shiva

April 23

Lecture 23: Embedded Technologies

April 25 April 30 May 2

Lecture 24: Populist dreams and Critical Agencies Lecture 25: Energy Questions: 1650 to 1850: From the Pacific to the Atlantic Lecture 26: Energy Questions: 1850 to 2012: From the Atlantic to the Pacific?