Postgraduate Course: Social and Economic Perspectives on Technology (PGSP11219)
Course Outline
| School |
School of Social and Political Science |
College |
College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits |
20 |
| Home subject area |
Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) |
Other subject area |
None |
| Course website |
None
|
Taught in Gaelic? |
No |
| Course description |
The course aims to provide a solid conceptual grounding in various disciplinary approaches, primarily sociological and economic, to the study of technological change. It starts by considering the shortcomings of some common academic and popular conceptions of the character of technology and its relation to society. The course then examines a range of contributions from the broad field of technology and innovation studies over the past two decades that have built up a more adequate explanation, and their synthesis into an emerging perspective now known as the social shaping of technology. The course focuses particularly on the organisation and processes of design, development and use, on the complex influences that shape them, and on the dynamics that connect them. Case studies of different systems and different domains of technology are used to illustrate the approaches and themes. The course also indicates some of the practical implications of this new perspective for innovation and for the governance of technological change which are followed through in other courses. |
Entry Requirements
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites |
|
| Prohibited Combinations |
|
Other requirements |
None
|
| Additional Costs |
None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Lecture | Room 106, Old Surgeon's Hall | 1-11 | | | 10:00 - 13:00 | | |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course students will have demonstrated through written work, oral presentations and other contributions in class, that they can:
-Discuss intelligently the complex forces shaping technology and our relationships to it
-Reflect critically on key theoretical approaches with reference to relevant empirical material
-Make use of appropriate frameworks and scholarly tools for more detailed investigations in subsequent courses and in the dissertation |
Assessment Information
| Book review of 1,000 words (worth 25%) and essay of 3,500 (worth 75%) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords |
Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
Prof Robin Williams
Tel: (0131 6)50 6387
Email: R.Williams@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Miss Madina Howard
Tel:
Email: Madina.Howard@ed.ac.uk |
|
copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh -
13 January 2011 6:34 am
|
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