Master
2023/2024
Technoscience and Mediaculture
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type:
Elective course (Critical Media Studies)
Area of studies:
Media Communications
Delivered by:
Institute of Media
When:
2 year, 3 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Instructors:
Alexander Pisarev
Master’s programme:
Критические медиаисследования
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
24
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The first part of the course would be an introduction into critical science and technology studies with the focus on the role of different media in historical development and in functioning of science and technology. We will discuss approaches and empirical cases in that field (and partly in philosophy and history of science, new materialism), focusing on the ways technoscience forms our lives and environment, in a nutshell, realities we find ourselves in. It does so by enacting nature realities by its knowledge ant technical practices (in laboratories, surveys) and by implementing technologies. Sometimes this situation is called Anthropocene so philosophical perspectives on Anthropocene will also be in focus. The second part will concern specifics of representation and self-representation of technoscience in different media after the WWII till today - in science museums, pop-culture and contemporary art.
Learning Objectives
- To offer students a comprehensive toolkit of concepts and perspectives around contemporary studies of technoscientific reality.
- Study the ways technoscience forms actual world as the world of Anthropocene.
- Consider basic examples of technoscientific imagery.
- Introduce some ways and know-hows of interpreting contemporary media culture in the context of technoscientific imagery.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Reproduces and explains basic ideas of science and technology studies
- Extracts images of technoscience from popular culture, popular science and contemporary art.
- Analyzes the logic of functioning of these images in regard to ontology of nature and society.
Course Contents
- Philosophical roots of medium
- Patchwise character of Anthropocene
- Actor-network theory as an example of STS approach to technoscientifically mediated world
- Heterogeneous engineering
- Practical Turn. Ethnography. History of Science and History of Knowledge
- Enactment of nature and social realities
- Science Museum. Art & Science. Technoscience Enlightenment
- Immutable mobiles
- Art&Science in the context of transcendental philosophy and science and technology studies
- Art&Science as performance of technoscience
- Technoscientific human construction
- Cerebral subject in pop-culture and contemporary art
Interim Assessment
- 2023/2024 3rd module0.2 * Class Attendance/ Participation + 0.5 * Essay + 0.3 * Homework
