| Call Number | 17644 |
|---|---|
| Day & Time Location |
T 2:10pm-4:00pm To be announced |
| Points | 4 |
| Grading Mode | Standard |
| Approvals Required | None |
| Instructor | Sudhir A Venkatesh |
| Type | SEMINAR |
| Method of Instruction | In-Person |
| Course Description | This course examines the ways that technological shifts have catalyzed innovation and social change in human societies. The focus is on the social basis for creativity. Analysis centers on the conflicts, disruptions and tensions that emerge in society when new and/or competing technologies are introduced. Students will explore two substantive spheres of social life. The first is war. Throughout recorded history, participants have sought to garner competitive advantages in battle via technological innovation. We look at several moments in which the development of a particular innovation helped bring about massive societal change. The second focus is on commerce. The class will examine the impact of digital technologies on those who work in creative industries undergoing transformation via technology and diffusion of tech-inspired ideas. The learning objectives for students are: • To situate technology within a wider social and historical context. • To consider creativity as a social activity, not only as individual aptitude. • To place the contemporary period of so-called “fast paced technological progress” within a sociological framework of change and innovation. |
| Web Site | Vergil |
| Department | Sociology |
| Enrollment | 0 students (17 max) as of 3:07PM Wednesday, November 26, 2025 |
| Subject | Sociology |
| Number | GU4701 |
| Section | 001 |
| Division | Graduate School of Arts and Sciences |
| Section key | 20261SOCI4701G001 |