If you need the syllabus in a non-web based format, please let me know.
general info
| Wednesdays 3:10 - 6pm (CUE 207)
Professor Kristin Arola Email: arola@wsu.edu |
Office: Avery 309 Office Hours: M 12-3 or by appt (email me) |
OVERVIEW
Studies in Technology and Culture develops a historical, rhetorical, and cultural understanding of digital technology and culture by merging theory and practice with a crucial emphasis on cultural needs, historical trajectories and current lived practices. This course provides a foundational examination of the key concepts, debates, tools and possibilities afforded by engaging with technology through a critical cultural lens. The course is a graduate level seminar-style class and will emphasize both critical reading and writing while at the same time expanding and developing the very tools by which we “read and write.”Studies in Technology and Culture will thus prepare students be part of a read/write culture that examines the intersections of technology and culture from multiple perspectives and with varied tool sets. The course will challenge both technologically determinist and celebratory narratives of technology by providing students with a critical vocabulary and in-depth knowledge of the historical, political, social and ethical decisions, projects, platforms and processes that define everyday uses and practical implementations of technological solutions that are never culturally neutral or value-free.
catalog description
[of ENGL 561] Provides a foundational examination of key concepts, tools, and possibilities afforded by engaging with technology through a critical cultural lens.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply a working knowledge and understanding of literature pertaining to diverse sets of cultural theories around the intersection of digital technologies and cultural practices in relation to their cultural, legal and ethical formations, and structures.
- Articulate a critical literacy of course themes and readings through analyzing texts and scholars in conversation with one another.
- Illustrate ability to thoughtfully share and critique ideas.
- Research a topic that engages the themes of the course and create a project proposal and other written materials from this research.
required materials
- Banks, Adam J. Race. Rhetoric and Technology: Searching for Higher Ground. NCTE-Routledge, 2005.
- Castells, Manuel. Networks of Outrage and Hope. Polity Press, 2012.
- Hayles, N. Katherine. How We Became Posthuman. Chicago UPress, 1999.
- Reed, T.V. Digitized Lives: Culture, Power, and Social Change in the Internet Era. Routledge, 2014.
- Nakamura, Lisa. Cypertypes: Race, Ethnicity, and Identity on the Internet. Routledge, 2002.
- Article-length readings provided
POLICIES
Attendance: This is a graduate course and you are expected to be here. That being said, if you're sick please keep your germs at home. Also, I understand
Late Work: Acceptance of late work is unusual and must be discussed in conference with the teacher. Late work will receive a lowered grade if turned in within one week of the original due date. Work turned in later than one week past the original due date will be given an automatic grade of F.
Grading Policy: For more information on the assignments themselves, percentages, and evaluation criteria, visit the assignments page. The grading scale is 100-93 A ||| 90-92 A- ||| 88-89 B+ ||| 83-87 B ||| 80-82 B- ||| 78-79 C+ ||| 73-77 C ||| 70-72 C- ||| 60-69 D ||| below 60 F
WSU Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Students with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. If you have a disability and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please either visit or call the Access Center (Washington Building 217; 509-335-3417) to schedule an appointment with an Access Advisor. All accommodations MUST be approved through the Access Center. For more information contact a Disability Specialist on your home campus: Pullman or WSU Online: 509-335-3417 http://accesscenter.wsu.edu Access.Center@wsu.edu
WSU Academic Integrity Statement: Academic integrity is the cornerstone of the university. You assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work you submit. You may collaborate with classmates on assignments, with the instructor's permission. However the guiding principle of academic integrity shall be that your submitted work, examinations, reports, and projects must be your own work. Any student who violates the University's standard of conduct relating to academic integrity will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and may fail the assignment or the course. You can learn more about Academic Integrity on your campus using the URL listed in the Academic Regulations section or to http://conduct.wsu.edu/academic-integrity-policies-and-resources. Please use these resources to ensure that you don’t inadvertently violate WSU's standard of conduct.
Safety and Emergency Notification: Washington State University is committed to enhancing the safety of the students, faculty, staff, and visitors. It is highly recommended that you review the Campus Safety Plan (http://safetyplan.wsu.edu/) and visit the Office of Emergency Management web site (http://oem.wsu.edu/) for a comprehensive listing of university policies, procedures, statistics, and information related to campus safety, emergency management, and the health and welfare of the campus community