Thinking about technology
Refer
Participants information
Workshop objectives
Motivation and background
We live in times where historically we have never had the kind of material abundance and advancement any time before – food, energy, conveniences, communication, health care, entertainment etc. At the same time, iits also perhaps one of the most historically critical times – disparities being great, a general erosion of contentment, crisis of relationships and also a crisis of resources and ecological destruction and a deep spiritual vacuum that is experienced.
Technologies – Engineering, construction, computing, artificial intelligence – have made this kind of material prosperity possible, and at the same time ,it can be argued that they have contributed to the ecological destruction, resource crisis, and climate change.
However the depth to which we are invested in this kind of an economy that is so dependant on technology to harness energy and resources – has cultivated a general unquestioning faith in technology , and its potential for human progress, its ability to solve the challenges society faces.
In engineering and technology programs, there are hardly any courses that enable students to step back and look at technology critically, historically and from the point of view of its implications for human well being in a more holistic way. As a result we have generations of people that come out in to this world with a blind , uncritical faith in the power of technology – often not understanding its cultural, political implications.
This workshop is an attempt to give a broader perspective on technology, it s possibilities and implications – and understand it more fundementally locating it in a human society – its ethical, social , cultural and ecological implications
Objectives
Overall themes and topics
What is it that we call technology ? Different perspectives .. a historical background of different technologies that have come into human lives .. their impact ...
a historicla view of various technologies and how they impacted human lives – economics, ecology, cosnciosuness, thinking, soceital structures (politic, religion , gender )
(Refer to writings by Neil Postman, Schumacher, Gandhi, )
Modern technologies and their impact – fossil fuel based technologies/industrialization, damming, energy extraction – the kind of economies they shaped, consciosness they shaped, relationships
Internet technologies, Social media – impact – technology corporations, their agenda, politics and their impact on personal autonomy, privacy etc.
Internet technologues and children and education. The impact of social media ,
Impact of these on lifestyles, relationships
For Whom
1, Students of technology : Students who have pursued courses on engineering, computers, biotechnology and and other technology and want to enquire and understand critically the impact and implications of the use of technology for the betterment of human life. Learn to go beyond the paradigms of convenience, ease, material prosperity to evaluate the decisions for the use of technology – to bring in ethical, ecological, sociological and cultural perspectives
2. Anybody else , who are concerned about the current human condition – ecological crisis, energy and resources crisis, and the social challenges we have – how is it conencted to use of technology? Can technology be enabling? IF so how do we use it, not use i t?
3. Parents and educationists - As parents and teachers we see young children being increasignly exposed to technology, it has come to be all pervasive – How does one even assess the impact of this on their psychological, physical growth , values and relationships? How does one respond to this in a way where we ensure that it is healthy for them.
Duration
Havent thought about this . May be a day or a two day workshop ? Depending on the audience and how it evolves. We can have different modules and then add or delete based on the interest and time.
Agenda
Resources
Readings
Movies
The gods must be crazy
Surrender of culture to technology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlrv7DIHllE
