果冻影院

Undergraduate

Module Content

The aim of the module is to provide students with the methodological and theoretical tools to engage critically with the notion of 鈥渢echnology鈥� and examine past, distant and contemporary technicities. 鈥淭echnology鈥� pervades public, media and academic discourses and often appears as a hazy term defining either a high-tech device, a form of knowledge, of practices, a mode of organisation of production, or even a way of being in the world. Often distinct from 鈥渟ociety鈥� and mainly seen as a neutral mean to an end, framed within conception of 鈥渇unctionality鈥� and 鈥渆fficiency鈥�, its conceptual content too often escapes anthropological investigations.鈥�听

In this module, we first deconstruct 鈥渢echnology鈥� as a modern category before proposing the Maussian concept of 鈥渢echnique鈥� as a methodological starting point, and thinking instead about culturally-specific technicities. We then investigate three of main empirical components of Technicity: (1) 鈥渢echnical milieus鈥� (large-scale infrastructures, polities, religious institutions, etc.), composed of reticulated assemblages (or networks) of people and (2) 鈥渢echnical objects鈥� (tools, instruments, devices and/or machines). These assemblages take forms during (3) 鈥渢echnical activities鈥� (including rituals and aesthetics), recruiting, mobilising and/or instantiating, at different scales, bodies, knowledge, imaginations, personhood, values, moral, politics or cosmologies.鈥�听

As a result, technical activities always (re)produce ontologies, logics and meta-physics and give them concrete forms. Through this module, we will engage with analyses of both ancient and modern technicities and introduce approaches ranging from Archaeology, Art History, Science and Technology Studies to Actor- Network Theory, in order to unveil the situated (i.e. gendered, racialised, politicised and colonial) nature of narratives about the neutrality of technological progress.鈥�听

Through a series of examples ranging from indigenous gardening systems to modern transport technology, from carving or cooking to rituals and magical operations as well as digital technology, the seminar will explore the possibility to develop a theoretical frame enabling us to talk about technodiversity with the same concern as the one which is at the core of the concept of biodiversity.鈥�听

Learning Outcomes鈥�鈥�听

• demonstrate an understanding of the nature and extent of human technical diversity and commonality and account for this using a variety of analytical perspectives鈥�鈥�听

• demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the potential applications of anthropological knowledge in a variety of contexts;鈥�鈥�听

• describe and analyse the ways in which human beings shape and are shaped by social, technical,鈥�鈥�听

• cultural, environmental contexts;鈥�鈥�听

• identify and question cultural assumptions about technology, technical objects and technical progress ; indicate a critical awareness of how anthropology of techniques and technology is related to other cognate subjects;鈥�鈥�听

• interpret and analyse a variety of oral, musical, visual and textual forms鈥�鈥�听

• show an appreciation and understanding of the relationship between local social, technical and cultural forms in relation to global processes and broader historical developments;鈥�鈥�听

• show understanding and facility in the use of a repertoire of concepts, theories and key research methods; understand the social and historical processes that influence the objects of anthropological study.鈥�鈥�听

• reflect about the ways in which the concept of 鈥渢echnology鈥� is dealt with in the anthropological, sociological literature.鈥�鈥�听

• reflect about the cultural and social assumptions about techniques activities, technical objects and sociotechnical systems.鈥�鈥�听

Indicative Teaching Delivery听

One 2 hour lecture per week + 2hrs tutorials.

笔辞蝉迟驳谤补诲耻补迟别听

Module Content听

The aim of the seminar is to provide students with the methodological and theoretical tools to engage critically with the notion of 鈥渢echnology鈥�. 鈥淭echnology鈥� pervades public, media and academic discourses and often appears as a hazy term defining either a high-tech device, a form of knowledge, of practices, a mode of organisation of production, or even a way of being in the world. Often distinct from 鈥渟ociety鈥� and mainly seen as a neutral mean to an end, framed within conception of 鈥渇unctionality鈥� and 鈥渆fficiency鈥�, its conceptual content too often escapes anthropological investigations.

In this module, we first deconstruct 鈥渢echnology鈥� as a modern category before proposing the Maussian concept of 鈥渢echnique鈥� as a methodological starting point, and thinking instead about culturally-specific technicities. We then investigate three of main empirical components of Technicity: (1) 鈥渢echnical milieus鈥� (large-scale infrastructures, polities, religious institutions, etc.), composed of reticulated assemblages (or networks) of people and (2) 鈥渢echnical objects鈥� (tools, instruments, devices and/or machines). These assemblages take forms during (3) 鈥渢echnical activities鈥� (including rituals and aesthetics), recruiting, mobilising and/or instantiating, at different scales, bodies, knowledge, imaginations, personhood, values, moral, politics or cosmologies.

As a result, technical activities always (re)produce ontologies, logics and meta-physics and give them concrete forms. Through this module, we will engage with analyses of both ancient and modern technicities and introduce approaches ranging from Archaeology, Art History, Science and Technology Studies to Actor- Network Theory, in order to unveil the situated (i.e. gendered, racialised, politicised and colonial) nature of narratives about the neutrality of technological progress.

Through a series of examples ranging from indigenous gardening systems to modern transport technology, from carving or cooking to rituals and magical operations as well as digital technology, the seminar will explore the possibility to develop a theoretical frame enabling us to talk about technodiversity with the same concern as the one which is at the core of the concept of biodiversity.

Learning Outcomes听

• demonstrate an understanding of the nature and extent of human technical diversity and commonality and account for this using a variety of analytical perspectives听
• demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the potential applications of anthropological knowledge in a variety of contexts;听
• describe and analyse the ways in which human beings shape and are shaped by social, technical,听
• cultural, environmental contexts;听
• identify and question cultural assumptions about technology, technical objects and technical progress ; indicate a critical awareness of how anthropology of techniques and technology is related to other cognate subjects;听
• interpret and analyse a variety of oral, musical, visual and textual forms听
• show an appreciation and understanding of the relationship between local social, technical and cultural forms in relation to global processes and broader historical developments;听
• show understanding and facility in the use of a repertoire of concepts, theories and key research methods; understand the social and historical processes that influence the objects of anthropological study.听
• reflect about the ways in which the concept of 鈥渢echnology鈥� is dealt with in the anthropological, sociological literature.听
• reflect about the cultural and social assumptions about techniques activities, technical objects and sociotechnical systems.听

Indicative Teaching Delivery听听

One 2 hour seminar per week (+ 2hrs of lectures optional).