Social and Political Implications of Technology

Poster with young boy and caption 'Electricity For Him.'

The USDA's Rural Electrification Program used posters such as this to spread the word about the benefits of electricity for farmers and other rural people. (Image courtesy of USDA.)

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

STS.462

As Taught In

Spring 2006

Level

Graduate

Cite This Course

Course Description

Course Description

This course is a graduate reading seminar, in which historical and contemporary studies are used to explore the interaction of technology with social and political values. Emphasis is on how technological devices, structures, and systems influence the organization of society and the behavior of its members. Examples are drawn from the technologies of war, transportation, communication, production, and reproduction.

Related Content

David Mindell, and Merritt Smith. STS.462 Social and Political Implications of Technology. Spring 2006. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.


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