Reading

• Read Chapters 1 -3 of “The Timeless Way of Building”
• Read Introduction to SCOT approach. (Social Construction of Technology–pdf file in folder)
• Read Introduction and Chapters 1-3 of “How Users Matter”

Class Presentation and Blog Post on Politics of Objects

Part I: Between now and Tuesday, 6/1

Use the tools provided by our discussion of Winner to analyze some technology from the perspective of its politics–Think about questions such as:

• Is it an inherently elitist technology?
• Is it an inherently democratic technology?
• What is its intended use?
• Is it used to either deny or allow certain people access to goods or services that others enjoy?
• What kind of power structure does it require/allow?
• Who are the gatekeepers to its use?
• What are the conditions for participation?
• How is it connected to the politics of the time in which it was introduced?
• How does it function in contemporary arrangements in society?

Prepare a 10 minute presentation (using power-point, web-sites, video clips, or whatever tools you like) that informs the class about the history of the technology, its current role in society, and the social and ethical issues the technology raises and/or attempts to address.

Part II: On Tuesday, 6/1

Give your presentation to the class. After each presentation, we will have five minutes for questions and discussion. Take note of whatever factual questions come up that you don’t yet have the answer to, and of whatever questions about values that deserve some further reflection.

Part III: Between Tuesday, 6/1 and the following Tuesday, 6/8

Prepare a blog post with:

• A written version of your presentation
• Links to the materials you used and/or embedded video clips
• A list of the questions brought up in discussion, your provisional answers to these questions, and your thoughts on what more would need to be done in order to provide fuller answers.