The Social Life of Technology

Undergraduate | 2026

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area/catalogue icon
Area/Catalogue
POLI 3005
Course ID icon
Course ID
201046
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course level icon
Course level
3
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Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
Yes
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
Yes
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
Yes
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Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

This course examines the complex interrelations between technology and human societies. Students learn how technologies are socially impactful. But equally, students learn how technology use and development are socially shaped and constructed. Students additionally develop their capacities to think ethically about technologies, as students are prompted to reflect on the links between technology, social inequalities, and asymmetrical power relations. Through a case study approach, students in this course learn how sociological perspectives illuminate how the world is technologically transforming, and what the social implications are of those transformations.

Course learning outcomes

  • Comprehend and recognise how technologies shape and are shaped by human societies
  • Reflect ethically on technology use and development from multiple normative perspectives
  • Construct a sociological appraisal of a contemporary technology and its social implications

Prerequisite(s)

N/A

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

N/A