|
INTRODUCTION
22 Lectures and 22 Seminars
The aim of this module is to examine the cultures of production of new technologies, including designers as ‘cultural intermediaries’, the impact of ‘user-experience’ research, and the ways in which social science is used within the technology industry. The module will focus on empirical examples – such as the design of the Sony Walkman, or the culture of the design firm IDEO – as well as theoretical approaches to the evolution of new technologies.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module students will
- Be familiar with key frameworks in understanding the production of new technology
- Understand the importance and role of ‘cultural intermediaries’ such as designers, artists and engineers, as well as the culture of key sites such as Silicon Valley
- Develop a sociological understanding of the ways in which ‘users’ are figured in the course of producing new technology
Programme of Studies/Module Content
- Sociological approaches to technology design and the user
- Case studies of specific technologies
- The culture of design and design companies
- Communities of practice in technology production: web designers, product designers, engineers, new media artists etc
- Cultural and creative industries in a global context
Required Reading
Cockburn, C & Ormrod, S (1993) Gender and Technology in the Making. London, Sage
English-Lueck, J (2002) cultures@siliconvalley. Stanford, Stanford Univeristy Press
Julier, G (2001) The Culture of Design. London, Sag
Molotch, H (2003) Where Stuff Comes From. London, Routledge
Recommended Reading
Downey, G (1998) The Machine in Me: An Anthopologist Sits Among Computer Engineers. London, Routledge
Matthews, G (2003) Silicon Valley, Women and the California Dream. Stanford, Stanford University Press
|
