Rationale
Sociologists have often accentuated the importance of social explanations of human action and major theoretical approaches often sideline or ignore the important impact of technology on social life. To explore the relationship between technology and society is to look at the relationship between people and things. In this respect important debates about material culture and their origin in anthropology need to be examined. Material culture is one very important element with considerable contemporary interest that will be examined in this module. The other major approach is to explore major contributions to the study of technology, especially the debate about social construction and technological determinism. Given the increase in the quantity and prevalence of technology in the contemporary world this is an important specialism for level 6 students. The module will take a broad definition of technology to include the important mundane material world (tables, chairs, pavements) alongside contemporary communications technologies (mobile phones, internet). This module will explore definitions and theories of technology and society, important anthropologically inspired accounts of the material world, and more recent work on the impact of communications technology. This will involve both macro and micro level analysis and a considerable breadth of theoretical ideas.