ICT Revolutions: Continuity and Change
Full course description
The course challenges the idea that the world is experiencing a digital revolution. It systematically compares technological revolutions since the Late Middle Ages until the end of the 20th century (from the printing press to the internet) with today’s digital transformation. We focus on differences and similarities between the past and the present in order to understand continuity and change. You will find out who is empowered by digital transformations, who is excluded from promises of progress and development, and whether it is possible to steer changes in information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Course objectives
By the end of this course you will be able to:
-Identify and define various information and communication ‘revolutions’ since the late Middle Ages
-Explain the origins and consequences of technological change in these ‘revolutions’
-Apply knowledge of the past to new and emerging situations in the digital present, taking into account assumptions, promises and fears surrounding technological innovation
-Articulate the above mentioned definitions, explanations, and critiques in an academic review paper
Prerequisites
none/not applicable
Recommended reading
Kovarik, B. (2016). Revolutions in communication: Media history from Gutenberg to the digital age (2nd edition). Bloomsbury.
Winston, B. (1998). Media Technology and Society: A History : from the Telegraph to the Internet. Psychology Press.