STS 3561 - Computing Cultures

(crosslisted) ANTHR 3061, COMM 3560, INFO 3561, VISST 3560
(CA-AS, SSC-AS)

Spring. 4 credits. Student option grading.

Not open to: first-year students. No technical knowledge of computer use presumed or required.

M. Ziewitz.

Computers are powerful tools for working, playing, thinking, and living. Laptops, PDAs, webcams, cell phones, and iPods are not just devices, they also provide narratives, metaphors, and ways of seeing the world. This course critically examines how computing technology and society shape each other and how this plays out in our everyday lives. Identifies how computers, networks, and information technologies reproduce, reinforce, and rework existing cultural trends, norms, and values. Looks at the values embodied in the cultures of computing and considers alternative ways to imagine, build, and work with information technologies.