Spring 2010

Course Description and Goals:
This course is both a chronological and thematic survey of the role of technology in American life from colonial times to the present. Although some parts of this course may examine the technical aspects of inventions and systems, we will mainly discuss how technology and society interact with each other. We will discuss how technology and systems affected the development of the nation, how they affected social conditions, how new technologies came about, and how they became part of American society. This course will provide students with an understanding of the basic facts and concepts of this aspect of American history through the assigned readings, lectures, class discussion, and multimedia presentations. In-class exams will measure understanding of the aforementioned facts and concepts, and out-of-class writing assignments will help students develop critical-thinking skills.

Texts:
Carroll Pursell, The Machine in America: A Social History of Technology

Martin V. Melosi, Thomas A. Edison and the Modernization of America

JoAnne Yates, Control through Communication: The Rise of System in American Management

Rudi Volti, Cars & Culture: The Story of a Technology