SOCY 1500 - From Killer Apps to Killer Bots: Technology and Social Change

A young college student updates her social media page to stay in touch with family and high school friends while making new friends on campus. An upstart automobile manufacturer builds a factory manned by robots to produce electronic vehicles designed to reduce the environmental impact of automobiles. The military deploys battalions of unmanned drones to engage with adversaries without risking the lives of their soldiers. Technology mediates nearly all aspects of social life, from reproduction and parenting to crime control and heath care. This course is designed to provide students an introduction to the different social dimensions of technological innovation as well as the theoretical and methodological tools sociologists use to study them. Max Hours: 3 Credits. Semester Hours: 3 to 3