Om kursen
The course will be given in the spring 2024, start date TBD.
The PhD course History of Technology - General Problems, 7.5 credits, TME, Chalmers. The course consists of ten seminars. Each of the first nine seminars considers a general problem in the history of technology. Tentatively, the following key problems will be covered: 1) The question of technology, 2) Explanation of technological change, 3) The act of invention, 4) The transfer of technology, 5) Technological determinism, 6) Technological systems, 7) Users of technology and technology in use, 8) Gendered technologies, 9) Unintended consequences.
The student is expected to do the reading for each seminar in advance and to actively take part in the discussion during the seminar. The literature consists of articles and book chapters, and it amounts to approx. 1 500-2 000 pages. The student is furthermore expected to draft an essay (about 8-10 pages) that will discussed and evaluated during the last seminar. The essay should consider one or several of the problems discussed during the course.