9843 (v.6) Sociology 324 - Sociology of Human Futures, Society and Technological Change

Area:	Department of Social Sciences
Credits:	50.0
Contact Hours:	3.0
Lecture:	1 x 3 Hours Weekly
Anti Requisite(s):	7949 (v.6) Sociology 224 - Sociology of Human Futures, Society and Technological Change
Syllabus:	Human futures and technological change. Technology and social change - modern society. Relationship between technical change and capitalist development. Invention and innovation. Technological determinism. Theories of technocracy. Technology and production focusing on gender, globalisation, the future of work, biotechnology. Theories and impact of information society, plus a major research project.

Unit Outcomes:	On successful completion of this unit, students will have- An awareness of the major theories of the relationship between technology, industrialisation, and social change. An understanding of current issues relating to technology and society, for example biotechnology and the Human Genome Project, ideas of information society and cyber society. A familiarity with current debates about, the impact of technological change on the labour process, employment and the future of work, and the relationship between technology and gender in the workplace. Some ability to think about issues of technology and social change in the context of globalisation and its impact upon Australian society.
Text and references listed above are for your information only and current as of September 30, 2003. Please check with the unit coordinator for up-to-date information.
Unit References:	Braverman, Harry. (1974), Labour and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work In the Twentieth Century. New York, Monthly Review Press. Landes, David. S. (1969), The Unbound Prometheus: Technological Change and Industrial Development in Western Europe from 1750 to the Present. Cambridge University Press. Ch 2, pp.41-123. Lewontin, R.C. (1992), "The Dream of the Human Genome" in R.C. Lewontin, Biology as Ideology: The Doctrine of DNA. New York, Harper Collins. MacKenzie, Donald. and Wajcman, Judy. (eds). (1999), The Social Shaping of Technology (second edition). Buckingham, Open University Press. Marx, Karl. (1977), Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Vol 1, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books. Cas 13 and 14, pp.439-491. Webster, Frank. (1995), Theories of The Information Society. London, Routledge.
Unit Texts:	Robins, Kevin and Webster, Frank. (1999), Times of the Technoculture. London, Routledge. Smith, Merritt Roe, and Marx, Leo. (1994), Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism. Massachusetts, MIT Press.

Unit Assessment Breakdown:	Annotated bibliography 10%, Essay 40%, Exam 30%, Tutorial Presentation and Participation 20%. This is by grade/mark assessment.