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- > Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences16:History of Technology
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School of Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering
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- Common courses
- School of Materials and Chemical Technology
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- 工学院，物質理工学院，環境・社会理工学院共通科目
- Liberal arts and basic science courses
- First-Year Courses
- School of Science
- School of Engineering
- School of Materials and Chemical Technology
- School of Computing
- School of Life Science and Technology
-
School of Environment and Society
- Department of Architecture and Building Engineering
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
- Department of Social and Human Sciences
- Department of Innovation Science
- Graduate major in Technology and Innovation Management
- Common courses
- Liberal arts and basic science courses
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Kawanishi Toma
- Class Format
- Lecture (Livestream)
- Media-enhanced courses
- Day/Period(Room No.)
- Wed5-6()
- Group
- -
- Course number
- LAH.S416
- Credits
- 1
- Academic year
- 2022
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- 2022/3/16
- Lecture notes updated
- -
- Language used
- Japanese
- Access Index
-
Course description and aims
Traditionally, historians of technology have focused on the " state-of-the-art technologies that characterized the age" ("History of Technology B" covers this traditional approach). Recent historians, however, have been reconsidering this position. Underpinning the current development is the reflection that such historiography of technology is not indeed a history of technology in general, but of "successful technological innovations (especially science-based technology), which means a lot of factors in the historical investigation may have been excluded. In this way, modern-day historians are now casting more spotlight on "old" technologies, their maintenance and operation, and the relationship between technology and society, economy, culture, and politics than the invention, research, and development of "new" technologies. This lecture is to rethink technology in the light of such contemporary historiography of technology.
Student learning outcomes
1. To broaden the students' perspective on technology through the study of the recent historiography of technology.
2. To become able to think about technology in connection with world history.
Keywords
Production, Maintenance, Nationalism, Post-colonialism, Agricultural Technology, Innovation
Competencies that will be developed
| Specialist skills | ✔ Intercultural skills | Communication skills | ✔ Critical thinking skills | Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
Class flow
Basically lecture style, with discussion as appropriate.
Course schedule/Required learning
| Course schedule | Required learning | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Past and Present in the Historiography of Technology: How Do We measure "Significance"? | Reading Assignment: Introduction, Chapter 1 |
| Class 2 | Time in Technology: To What Extent is the Developmental Stage Model Relevant? | Reading Assignment: Chapter 2 |
| Class 3 | Rethinking "Production": Domestic Production and Food Production, Materiality in the "Information Age" | Reading Assignment: Chapter 3 |
| Class 4 | The Life of Technology: Maintenance, Repair, and Decline | Reading Assignment: Chapter 4 |
| Class 5 | Techno-nationalism and Techno-globalism: "Who" Creates Technology and "For Whom" It Is Used | Reading Assignment: Chapter 5 |
| Class 6 | The technology of killing: What makes mass killing possible? | Reading Assignment: Chapter 6-7 |
| Class 7 | Rethinking Innovation: Is Today an Innovative Age? | Reading Assignment: Chapter 8 and Conclusion |
Out-of-Class Study Time (Preparation and Review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
David Edgerton, The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History Since 1900 (Oxford University Press, 2007)
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Further reference will be given in the course of lecture. All materials used in class can be found on T2SCHOLA.
Assessment criteria and methods
Evaluation will be made on the basis of short reports (summary of the lecture in each session, 50%) and a final report (50%).
Related courses
- LAH.T103 ： History of Technology A
- LAH.T203 ： History of Technology B
- LAH.T303 ： History of Technology C
Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)
No prerequisites.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from "[at]" to "@"(half-width character).
toma.kawanishi[at]gmail.com
Other
No classes will be given on April 13 (Wed).
Seven total classes will be held for this course: April 20 (Wed), April 27 (Wed), May 11 (Wed), May 18 (Wed), May 25 (Wed), June 1 (Wed), June 8(Wed).
