HST 120
Introduction to STS
Essay 1: Does Technology Drive History?
Scholars of technology have long debated the extent to which technology causes social change. Does technology drive history? Or is technology merely one component of a broader process of social change?
For this essay, you should begin by reading the excerpts from the book "Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism" that are posted on Moodle, under Week 4. These excerpts are the Introduction (by Leo Marx and Merritt Roe Smith) and Rosalind Williams's chapter, "The Political and Feminist Dimensions of Technological Determinism." Then, you should read the following articles where technology plays a significant causal role:
How Technology is Destroying Jobs
http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/515926/how-technology-is-destroying-jobs/
Stop Saying Robots are Destroying Jobs - They Aren't
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/519016/stop-saying-robots-are-destroying-jobs-they-arent/
Does the Internet Make You Smarter?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704025304575284973472694334.html
Does the Internet Make You Dumber?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704025304575284981644790098.html
Once you have read these materials, write a 3-4 page essay about technological determinism. Does technology follow its own logic? Which forms of "determinism" have the most explanatory power? Why should we be cautious about accepting narratives of determinism as true? And, in the end, how can we direct the power of technology to the betterment of human societies?
Your essay should be double-spaced, 12-point font, and carefully proofread. Please consider visiting the Writing and Communications Center (Morton 210) for feedback on your drafts. Otherwise, please consult Prof. Russell's "considerations for papers in HHS 125" - the advice also applies here.
Your essay is due, in paper copy, at the beginning of class on Tuesday September 17.
Essay 2: Do Artifacts Have Politics?
For this essay, begin by summarizing the arguments of Langdon Winner (in his essay "Do Artifacts Have Politics?") and Bernard Carlson (in his essay "The Telephone as Political Instrument"). Then, choose an artifact or technological system from the past or present to analyze, using the concepts and methods modeled by Winner and Carlson. Your essay should have a clear thesis (argument) about the political qualities to technological artifacts and/or systems. NB: make sure to define what you mean by "political" and "technology"!!
Your essay should be 3-4 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font with reasonable margins, and carefully proofread. Please consider visiting the Writing and Communications Center (Morton 210) for feedback on your drafts. Otherwise, please consult Prof. Russell's considerations for papers in HHS 125 - the advice also applies here.
Your essay is due, in paper copy, at the beginning of class on Thursday October 10.
Essay 3: Choose your topic
For essay 3, you can choose a topic to analyze using the conceptual tools of STS. I suggest that you pick a topic under the rubric of "sports and STS" - topics such as concussions in football, performance-enhancing drugs, instant replay - in short, anything that illuminates how amateur and professional sports have integrated many different facets of science and technology.
Your essay should not simply be a summary of a controversy; it should draw on the conceptual tools of STS that we have explored this semester - particularly the concepts from readings and discussions after October 15, such as: organizations, regulations, users, publics, religion, gender, and/or race.
You should send me the topic of your essay no later than Tuesday November 19. Your 3-4 page essay is due in class on Tuesday December 3. You should bring a printed and stapled copy of your essay to class. The usual rules apply: double spaced, 12 point font, 1-inch margins, cite all sources, and include a "works cited" list at the end.