Technology and Society (Spring 2007)

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Overview of the Pilot Curriculum General Education Requirement
Current Pilot Curriculum General Requirement Course Descriptions


This course fulfills Category II of the General Education Requirement.

Faculty:

John Tresch
History & Sociology of Science, Faculty
jtresch@sas.upenn.edu
215-898-7601

Meeting Times:

LEC STSC 003 401 M & W 1:00 - 2:00
REC STSC 003 402 F 1:00 - 2:00
REC STSC 003 403 F 2:00 - 3:00


Course Description:


Technology shapes our daily lives, our landscapes, our whole society— yet we really know very little about how it does that. This course will examine the role that technology has played in American Society and the role that American society has played in technological development from the 17th century until the present. We will explore (through field trips, lectures and reading) such artifacts as native American canoes, open hearth kitchens, spinning machines, railroad cars, electric generators, automobiles, contraceptives, computers and rockets. Borrowing insights from such disciplines as history, economics and sociology we will make an effort to uncover the basic principals of the interaction between individuals, society and technology.

Students must register for both the lecture and a recitation.

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