Technology and Culture

This interdisciplinary course will first investigate the social, political, psychological, ethical, and spiritual aspects of the Western cultural development with a special emphasis on scientific and technological metaphors and narratives. We will then focus on the contemporary world, examining the impact of our various technological creations on cultural directions, democratic process, the world of work, quality of life, and especially on the emergent meanings for the terms "citizen" and "ethics" in contemporary society. Students will explore technologies in four broad and interrelated domains: (1) computer, media, communications, and information technologies, (2) biotechnology, (3) globalization, and (4) environmental issues.