Image from Inderscience Publishers, Creative Commons CCO-Public Domain

Culture can be broadly defined as the symbolic process we use to learn about, categorize, and organize our world. It is through culture that we give meaning, value, order, and a measure of predictability to the flux of objects, experiences, and interactions that make up daily life. This seminar examines the role of information and communication technologies in cultural processes. To do this, we undertake a philosophical and historical examination of changing media practices and consider their impact on our values, behaviors, and social relations; the structure of thought and knowledge in the public sphere; the nature of privacy, work, and the economy; and the boundaries between humans and machines, among other topics.

Course Outcomes: After taking this course, students will:

1) Know about the intellectual history of communication, technology, and culture as concepts.

2) Understand the theoretical connections between communication technologies and culture.

3) Identify key eras and transformations in the historical development of communication technologies and culture.

4) Explain how communication technologies shape culture and alter the nature of human relations.