Technology and Democracy

	Tuesday – Lecture	Readings	Thursday
Week 1 *Introduction*		[x.x] – Represents Toolkit Reading #	17 Jan. Intro to course: The Lightswitch of STS
Week 2 *Katrina*	22 Jan. – The Teaching Team How can the catastrophe surrounding Hurricane Katrina be used as a lens for understanding the relationship between technology and democracy in America?	Viewing in class of PBS Frontline program, The Storm. [2.1] ASCE Report Excerpts [2.2] Perrow, “Using Organizations” [2.3] Gilman, “What Katrina Teaches about the Meaning of Racism”	24 Jan.
Week 3 *What is Democracy?* *Aschvin Chawan* *Kevin Leach*	29 Jan. – Professor Wilson Democracy is not a straightforward act of voting; rather, it is a set of tensions. Historical work on democracy shows how the threat of tyranny is built into its very nature.	[3.1] Aristotle, Politics, Books 1 and 5 [3.2] Madison, Federalist Papers, 10 and 51	31 Jan. Paper 1 due: Noon, Mon., Feb. 4
Week 4 Sharika Michael Cartoski	5 Feb. – Professor Wilson Democracy requires constant balancing of majority rule and community rights. Rights of a free community must continually balance the techniques of concentrating power.	[4.1] Fishkin, “Three Democratic Conditions” [4.2] Mill, “Ideally Best Form of Government” [4.3] Mukerji, “Stewardship, Politics, and Control of Wild Weather”	7 Feb.
Week 5 *What is Technology?* *Devin Brown* *Dosoo*	12 Feb. – Professor Neeley Technologies are not merely configurations of hardware, but are socio-technical systems and practices. Associating technology only with material objects, reliable knowledge, objectivity, and practicality obscures its role and limits our ability to analyze it.	[5.1] Vitruvius, “Origins of Dwelling House,” Ten Books on Arch. [5.2] Neeley, Preface & Ch One of Beyond Thintelligence [5.3] Wetmore, “Distributing Risks and Responsibilities”	14 Feb. On writing technical descriptions
Week 6 Alex	19 Feb. – Professor Cohen The path of technology development is not inherently pre-determined, but is socially shaped. While the notion of technological determinism may help explain some aspects of tech change, it obscures the role of human agency, thus confounding democratic control.	[6.1] Nye, “Technology Matters” [6.2] Schivelbusch, “The American Railroad”	21 Feb. Paper 2 due: Noon, Mon., Feb. 25
Week 7 *Mutual Shaping of Tech & Dem* *Robert Semus* *Kiran Kumar*	26 Feb. – Professor Cohen Technology is not neutral; it has embedded values. By identifying those embedded values, we will better see the need for democratic controls.	[7.1] Winner, “Do Artifacts Have Politics?” [7.2] Bijker, “American and Dutch Coastal Engineering”	28 Feb.
*Spring Break*	4 Mar.		6 Mar.
Week 8 Matt H Chris M Oscar J.L Adam Kendall	11 Mar.– Professor Cohen Technology advance does not automatically lead to social progress, but it can be directed to do so. Assuming that technology in and of itself equals progress disassociates the role of social values and ignores the underlying questions “progress for whom?” and “progress toward what?”	[8.1] L. Marx, “Does Improved Technology Mean Progress?” [8.2] Surowiecki, “Technology and Happiness” [8.3] Halstead, “The American Paradox”	13 Mar. Paper 3 due: Noon, Mon., Mar. 17
Week 9 *Democratic Technology Decision Making* *Raymond* *William M*	18 Mar. – Professor Neeley Technological Literacy “Technological literacy” is the knowledge and skills needed to participate intelligently and thoughtfully in decision-making about technology. Although often used in too narrow a sense, properly understood technological literacy is an essential foundation for shaping technology in accordance with democratic principles.	[9.1] Bugliarello, “Reflections on Technological Literacy,” Bulletin of Science, Technology, & Society [9.2] Young, Cole, & Denton, “Improving Technological Literacy,” Issues in Science and Technology [9.3] Andrews, “Practicing Technological Citizenship”	20 Mar.
Week 10 *Ashley* *Andrew*	25 Mar. – Professor Gorman Expertise, Trust, and Community in the Management of Complex Systems The first reading reminds us of the importance of integrating scientific knowledge into participatory, democratic processes. The second reading provides a framework for how this could be accomplished, using examples from nanotechnology and water quality.	[10.1] Sheila Jasanoff, “The Dilemma of Environmental Democracy,” Issues in Science and Technology [10.2] Michael Gorman, Ahson Wardak, Emma Fauss, Nathan Swami, “A framework for using nanotechnology to improve water quality”	27 Mar.
Week 11 Nick Shea Matt Rudy Rob H Chen	1 Apr. – Professor Nichols The Media and the Representation of War: A Historical Perspective Access to information is essential to a vital democracy. Important functions of the media in a democracy are to accurately disseminate information, to enhance citizen awareness, and to act as a “check” on elected officials. Historically, these media functions have come under the greatest stress when democracies confront war and intervention abroad.	[11.1] Spencer, “The Spanish-American War and the Hearst Myth [11.2] Robinson, “The CNN Effect Revisited,” [11.3] Powell, “What Does American History Tell Us About Katrina and Vice Versa?”	3 Apr. Paper 4 due: Noon, Mon., Apr. 7
Week 12 *Stephen Dang* *Lauren Olmstead*	8 Apr. – Professor Gorman and Fred O’Bryant, Engineering Librarian Prep 1: Katrinasim begins	[12.1] Sims, “The Day After the Hurricane: Infrastructure, Order, and the new Orleans Police Department’s Response to Hurricane Katrina” [12.2] Henke, “Situation Normal? Repairing a Risky Ecology” [12.3] “The Disneyfication of New Orleans”	10 Apr. Prep 2: Groups Meet During Regular Seminar Times to Complete Research and Define Roles and Goals
Week 13	15 Apr. – Professor Gorman Katrinasim Session I		17 Apr. Katrinasim Session II: Marathon Session SEL 7-10 p.m. Pizza provided!
Week 14	22 Apr. Katrinasim Session III SEL		24 Apr. Katrinasim debriefing
Week 15 *Wrap Up*	29 Apr. Citizenship & Technology beyond Katrina	TBA
Final Exam	Mon., May 5 Culminating paper is due in your instructor’s mailbox by noon no later than this time

Tuesday – Lecture

Readings

Thursday

Week 1

Introduction

[x.x] – Represents Toolkit Reading #

17 Jan.

Intro to course: The Lightswitch of STS

Week 2

Katrina

22 Jan. – The Teaching Team

How can the catastrophe surrounding Hurricane Katrina be used as a lens for understanding the relationship between technology and democracy in America?

Viewing in class of PBS Frontline program, The Storm.

[2.1] ASCE Report Excerpts

[2.2] Perrow, “Using Organizations”

[2.3] Gilman, “What Katrina Teaches about the Meaning of Racism”

24 Jan.

Week 3

What is Democracy?

Aschvin Chawan

Kevin Leach

29 Jan. – Professor Wilson

Democracy is not a straightforward act of voting; rather, it is a set of tensions. Historical work on democracy shows how the threat of tyranny is built into its very nature.

[3.1] Aristotle, Politics, Books 1 and 5

[3.2] Madison, Federalist Papers, 10 and 51

31 Jan.

Paper 1 due: Noon, Mon., Feb. 4

Week 4

Sharika

Michael Cartoski

5 Feb. – Professor Wilson

Democracy requires constant balancing of majority rule and community rights. Rights of a free community must continually balance the techniques of concentrating power.

[4.1] Fishkin, “Three Democratic Conditions”

[4.2] Mill, “Ideally Best Form of Government”

[4.3] Mukerji, “Stewardship, Politics, and Control of Wild Weather”

7 Feb.

Week 5

What is Technology?

Devin Brown

Dosoo

12 Feb. – Professor Neeley

Technologies are not merely configurations of hardware, but are socio-technical systems and practices. Associating technology only with material objects, reliable knowledge, objectivity, and practicality obscures its role and limits our ability to analyze it.

[5.1] Vitruvius, “Origins of Dwelling House,” Ten Books on Arch.

[5.2] Neeley, Preface & Ch One of Beyond Thintelligence

[5.3] Wetmore, “Distributing Risks and Responsibilities”

14 Feb.

On writing technical descriptions

Week 6

Alex

19 Feb. – Professor Cohen

The path of technology development is not inherently pre-determined, but is socially shaped. While the notion of technological determinism may help explain some aspects of tech change, it obscures the role of human agency, thus confounding democratic control.

[6.1] Nye, “Technology Matters”

[6.2] Schivelbusch, “The American Railroad”

21 Feb.

Paper 2 due: Noon, Mon., Feb. 25

Week 7

Mutual Shaping of Tech & Dem

Robert Semus

Kiran Kumar

26 Feb. – Professor Cohen

Technology is not neutral; it has embedded values. By identifying those embedded values, we will better see the need for democratic controls.

[7.1] Winner, “Do Artifacts Have Politics?”

[7.2] Bijker, “American and Dutch Coastal Engineering”

28 Feb.

Spring Break

4 Mar.

6 Mar.

Week 8

Matt H

Chris M

Oscar J.L

Adam Kendall

11 Mar.– Professor Cohen

Technology advance does not automatically lead to social progress, but it can be directed to do so. Assuming that technology in and of itself equals progress disassociates the role of social values and ignores the underlying questions “progress for whom?” and “progress toward what?”

[8.1] L. Marx, “Does Improved Technology Mean Progress?”

[8.2] Surowiecki, “Technology and Happiness”

[8.3] Halstead, “The American Paradox”

13 Mar.

Paper 3 due: Noon, Mon., Mar. 17

Week 9

Democratic Technology Decision Making

Raymond

William M

18 Mar. – Professor Neeley

Technological Literacy

“Technological literacy” is the knowledge and skills needed to participate intelligently and thoughtfully in decision-making about technology. Although often used in too narrow a sense, properly understood technological literacy is an essential foundation for shaping technology in accordance with democratic principles.

[9.1] Bugliarello, “Reflections on Technological Literacy,” Bulletin of Science, Technology, & Society

[9.2] Young, Cole, & Denton, “Improving Technological Literacy,” Issues in Science and Technology

[9.3] Andrews, “Practicing Technological Citizenship”

20 Mar.

Week 10

Ashley

Andrew

25 Mar. – Professor Gorman

Expertise, Trust, and Community in the Management of Complex Systems

The first reading reminds us of the importance of integrating scientific knowledge into participatory, democratic processes. The second reading provides a framework for how this could be accomplished, using examples from nanotechnology and water quality.

[10.1] Sheila Jasanoff, “The Dilemma of Environmental Democracy,” Issues in Science and Technology

[10.2] Michael Gorman, Ahson Wardak, Emma Fauss, Nathan Swami, “A framework for using nanotechnology to improve water quality”

27 Mar.

Week 11

Nick Shea

Matt Rudy

Rob H

Chen

1 Apr. – Professor Nichols

The Media and the Representation of War: A Historical Perspective

Access to information is essential to a vital democracy. Important functions of the media in a democracy are to accurately disseminate information, to enhance citizen awareness, and to act as a “check” on elected officials. Historically, these media functions have come under the greatest stress when democracies confront war and intervention abroad.

[11.1] Spencer, “The Spanish-American War and the Hearst Myth

[11.2] Robinson, “The CNN Effect Revisited,”

[11.3] Powell, “What Does American History Tell Us About Katrina and Vice Versa?”

3 Apr.

Paper 4 due: Noon, Mon., Apr. 7

Week 12

Stephen Dang

Lauren Olmstead

8 Apr. – Professor Gorman and Fred O’Bryant, Engineering Librarian

Prep 1: Katrinasim begins

[12.1] Sims, “The Day After the Hurricane: Infrastructure, Order, and the new Orleans Police Department’s Response to Hurricane Katrina”

[12.2] Henke, “Situation Normal? Repairing a Risky Ecology”

[12.3] “The Disneyfication of New Orleans”

10 Apr.

Prep 2: Groups Meet During Regular Seminar Times to Complete Research and Define Roles and Goals

Week 13

15 Apr. – Professor Gorman

Katrinasim Session I

17 Apr. Katrinasim Session II: Marathon Session SEL

7-10 p.m. Pizza provided!

Week 14

22 Apr.

Katrinasim Session III

SEL

24 Apr.

Katrinasim debriefing

Week 15

Wrap Up

29 Apr.

Citizenship & Technology beyond Katrina

TBA

Final Exam

Mon., May 5 Culminating paper is due in your instructor’s mailbox by noon no later than this time