206H12 Spring 2013:BODIES & MACHINES

FallSpring 2014 (08/25/14-12/10/14)

Mondays, Wednesdays, andFridaysSection 00110:00-10:50Section 00211:00-11:50WFMondays, WednesdaysTuesdays and FriThursdays 92:00-9:350AM:1501/09/13-05/01/13Harvill BldgShantz Room 452411242E

Dr. Victor BraitbergAssistant ProfessorHonors Interdisciplinary FacultyThe Honors CollegeUniversity of Arizona

Office Hours Thursdays 1-4PMSlonaker House 211And Mondays 11:00-12:002:00TuesdaysWednesdays 102:00-12:00:30Fridays 10:00-12:00 and by

AppointmentWednesdays 11-3 and by AppointmentEmail: victorb@email.arizona.eduOffice Tel.520- 621-0175

COURSE DESCRIPTIONFrom the world of industrial machines to the world of digital devices, the changing landscape of technology in our everyday lives has a profound effect on how we think about and experience our bodies. Using historical and cross-cultural perspectives alongside out-of-the-classroom research this class explores how configurations of bodies and machines shape what we define as normal or natural, how we experience space and time, and how we understand the differences between humans and non-humans.

At the same time, we will be explore how a wide range of social and cultural groups experience and make sense ofing the relationship betweenof bodies and machines to our personal experience. Throughout the semester students will be encouraged to connect the themes of the course to the diverse ways that configurations of body and machine inform our experience as embodied selves. We will be particularly concerned with grasping how varied these configurations of body and machine shape our experience of race, class, gender, sexuality and other social distinctions that construct our bodies and selfhood and relationship to others in specific ways.

Our point of departure will be ideas and images of technology and the body from the scientific and technological revolutions of the 17th and 18th centuries. Our aim will be to understand how these imaginaries have informed our contemporary experience of technology, the body and notions of the ideal society. We will then turn our attention to the scientific and technological movements of Eugenics and Taylorism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to explore the ways that concerns about industrial production and population growth intersected with visions of bodies perfectly tuned to the rhythms of the factory and whose reproduction would be engineered to remove all hereditary imperfections. Our examination of the mid-20th century to the

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present will be concerned with the emergence of computing technologies and communication networks. We will focus in particular on the histories of cybernetics and post-industrialism which have reimagined the boundaries between the human and the machine as well as the social and the biological.

Our discussions, written assignments, and class projects will be based on a broad, interdisciplinary range of sources including but not limited to popular films, scholarly works, visual arts, and novels.

At the same time, we will be exploring the relationship of bodies and machines to our personal experience. Throughout the semester students will be encouraged to connect the themes of the course to the diverse ways that the articulations of body and machine inform our experience as embodied selves. We will be particularly concerned with grasping how these articulations shape our experience of race, class, gender, sexuality and other social distinctions that construct our bodies and selfhood in specific ways.

Throughout various points in the semester, we will be visited by “guest students” who will be joining us for conversation. These will be a diverse range of individuals ranging from U of A scholars and scientists to working physicians and engineers as well as authors, poets, and musicians from the Tucson community who will do one of our weekly readings and come in to discuss it with us from the perspective of their profession or specialty. In addition we will have at least one and possibly more excursions in the community to enrich our in class learning. Such excursions will be for purposes of enrichment and therefore not mandatory.

REQUIRED BOOKS (AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA BOOKSTORE):Minsoo Kang (2011) Sublime Dreams of Living Machines.1. Alexandra HowsonArthur W. Frank (1991) At the Will of the Body:

Reflections on Illness. [2.] 2.[3.] Mary Shelley (1818) Frankenstein, Or The Modern Prometheus.3.[4.] Carolyn Thomas de la Pena (2003) The Body Electric: How

Strange Machines Built the Modern American. 4.[5.] Philip K Dick (1968) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Alexandra Howson (2013) The Body in Society, 2nd Edition.

OPTIONAL BOOK (AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA BOOKSTORE)5.[6.] Robert Romanyshyn (1989) Technology as Symptom and

Dream.  6.[7.] Sherry Turkle (2011) Alone Together: Why We Expect More

From Technology and Less From Each Other.

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ARTICLES AND BOOK CHAPTERSAll required and recommended articles and book chapters will be made available through the D2L course web page/siteD2l.

FILMSFirst ContactFrankenstein: BBC DocumentaryMetropolisRace: The Power of an IllusionGATACCAThe Mechanical BrideBlade RunnerCity of Lost Children

COURSE OBJECTIVES1. Identify and describe how visions and techniques for

technologically transforming the body articulate human values, beliefs, and desires.

2. Describe the political, economic, and cultural contexts for scientific and technological modifications of the human body.

3. Evaluate how technological bodies transgress existing social and political arrangements, or conversely, how they reinforce and normalize them.

4. Evaluate the similarities and differences between contemporary and historical imaginaries of bodies and machines.

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES1. Increased understanding of how of the relations between

ideas about science, technology, the body and society are related to one another.

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2. Increased understanding of the historical relationships between science, technology, the body and social thought.

3. Improved ability to think critically about social and political beliefsideals and their relationship to understandings of science, technology, and the body.

4. Ability to apply fieldwork methods used in cultural anthropology to understanding beliefs and practices of social media users.

5. Expanded proficiency in expository writing. and the use of primary sources.

TEACHING METHODOLOGYThe following methods will be used to explore course topics:

Instructor lectures Out of class activities Online discussions ClassGroup discussions

BPublic bloggingSIndividual short essaysTeam-based learning activities

Research paper P Individual presentations Final Paper

GRADESD2l DiscussionAttendance 50 pts | 05%Participation 21050 pts | 20015%Reading Notes 1500 pts | 150%Short Papers (3)D2L Discussion 300 pts | 30%EthnographyGroup Final Paper 150 pts | 15%Final Paper Presentation 5200150 pts | 52015%Mid-Term20025Public Blog 200 pts | 20%0%Essay #1 100 pts | 10%Essay #2 100 pts | 10%Essays (3) 200300 pts | 350%% (10% each)

Total: 1000ptsA = (1000-900)B = (890-800) C = (790-700)D = (690-600)F = (below 590)

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COURSE ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENT (Rubrics for all course activities will be posted in D2L)

PARTICIAPTION 20% Of Grade (200PTS)This is a discussion-based class. You will be expected to contribute to class discussion frequently.

At the end of the semester I will look at the following criteria and issue a grade by assessing the extent to which you have done the following:

Attends class regularly. (Missing no more than three classes).*

Participates regularly (at least once every 1-2 weeks) in discussion by contributing topic-relevant comments and/or questions. Questions and or comments demonstrate that the student has done the reading and given it some thought. Relates previous class discussions, course assignments, other classes, readings, media, personal experience or other materials to the discussion in ways that are focused, relevant, and insightful.

Builds upon/paraphrasing what others have said or asks for clarification. Cites comments and/or questions made by classmates.

Brings the reading to class. Quotes relevant passages to illustrate or support their question or comment.

Stays focused on assigned question and/or task when engaged in group discussion/activity.

At the end of the semester I will look at the following criteria and issue a grade by assessing whether you have done the following:

Note that attendance will be based on a pass/fail basis (3 or fewer absences = full credit. More than 3 no credit)

4 0pts/Attends class regularly. (Missing no more than three classes).

4 0pts/Brings the reading to class. Quotes relevant passages to illustrate or support their question or comment.

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4 0pts/Participates in discussion by contributing topic-relevant comments and/or questions. Questions and or comments demonstrate that the student has done the reading and given it some thought. Relates previous class discussions, course assignments, other classes, readings, media, personal experience or other materials to the discussion in ways that are focused, relevant, and insightful.

4 0pts/Builds upon/paraphrasing what others have said or asking for clarification. Cites comments and/or questions made by classmates.

4 0pts/Stays focused on assigned question and/or task when asked to do group discussion/activity.

*Note that attendance will be based on a pass/fail basis. Three or fewer absences will equal full credit. More than three absences will equal 0 credit.

D2L DISCUSSION 30% of Grade (15 x 20PTS =300 PTS)Attendance (50pts/5%: individual grade): You can miss any two days for any reason and receive full credit for attendance. Arriving late and leaving early will be counted as an absence. Three or more days of being absent will result in 0 points for attendance.The aim of this class is to create an environment where you can learn to think holistically about bodies and machines. This means being able to observe, analyze, and identify patterns between things that may, at first, not seem to be related. It means being able to make connections between the past and the present, between society and the individual, between fantasy and reality, between the personal and the political.

Prompts for D2l discussion appear each week in the Table of Contents of our D2L site . They will vary from week to week. Some prompts will ask you to engage with an argument being made by one of our authors or to discuss with examples a concept that has been introduced in class discussion. In some cases you will be asked to respond to a video, a photograph, a poem, or other cultural artifact. In some cases you will be asked to interview someone, observe social behavior, or perform an experiment on yourself and share what you discoveredreport on what you learned.

Excellent postings— those receiving an A —will not only engage fully with the prompt but succeed in using specific examples to make relevant and thought provoking connections with two or more of the following-- our readings, films, current events, course

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assignments, class discussion, other classes, etc… Why would this be my criteria for excellence, i.e., for awarding an A?

A fundamental aim of this class is to create an environment where you can learn to think holistically about bodies and machines. This means being able to observe, analyze, and identify patterns between things that may, at first, not seem to be related. It means being able to make connections between the past and the present , between society and the individual, between fantasy and reality, between the personal and the political.

Prompts will be posted by 5 10 pm on Su ndays and will be due the following Sunday by 5 10 pm .

The grading rubric for D@L discussion will be in the content area under Course Information.

ETHNOGRAPHY OF BODIES AND MACHINES (5670% of grade = 56700pts)

The most important assignment for this class is the ethnography. Ethnography involves the analysis of a particular culture through hands on field research that will take place outside of the classroom. Your ethnography will be a contribution to our understanding of how people experience and make sense of the relationship between bodies and machines. This assignment will be made up of seven separate assignments that will culminate in a 7-10 page paper that you will be due at the end of the semester. Each assignment will be worth a certain number of points (see below) and will have its own rubric and will be due every two weeks. Each of these assignments will be discussed in class and you will have opportunities to form working-groups with your peers to share ideas and strategies for completing each assignment.

Assignment 1: Proposal (2550pts)Assignment 2: Background Research (2550pts)Assignment 3: Field Notes (5075pts)Assignment 4: Interview (5075pts)Assignment 5: Draft of Ethnography (100pts)Assignment 6: Class Presentation (50pts)Assignment 7: Final draft of Ethnography (200pts)

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Participation (150pts/15%: individual grade):The course will require full participation (including active listening, facilitating, note-taking, and asking questions). Successful participation in this class will mean bringing the readings to class and engaging with them in a thoughtful way demonstrating that you have completed the assigned reading and are engaging with relevant ideas and issues both from the reading in question as well as other sources including but not limited to personal experience and current events. Furthermore your class participation should integrate and build upon the ideas of your classmates, guest students, and/or the instructor. I will expect an attitude of respect for both each other and the material under consideration You will be expected to treat each other with respect when it comes to differences of interpretation and opinion. And you will be expected to treat the material we are discussing with respect in the sense that you will be expected to give it your attention and serious consideration despite the fact that on occasion this may be difficult to do since our discussionsyou may find the topic difficult since it may challenge your beliefs and/or values.

In-Class Discussion Groups: On the first day of class you will divide into a group of 3 students. This will be your discussion group for the duration of the semester (as well as your presentation group). Throughout the semester you will be periodically asked to convene your group during class to discuss the assigned reading and to share your questions and/or comments with the rest of the class.

Reading Notes (300pts/30%) Due every FridayThursday in class.A printed copy of your reading notes will be due in class every Friday. Every week, for fifteen weeks, you will be required to submit one or two paragraphs of reading notes. To receive full credit (20pts) you will need to do two things: 1) describe the authors thesis in your own words followed by quoting the passage (with page numbers) which you think contains the thesis statement and 2) discuss an aspect of the article that was unclear and/or confusing. For those weeks when we have more than one assigned reading, please focus on the reading that raised the most questions or caused the greatest difficultyA printed copy of your reading notes will be due in class every Thursday. N ote that you will lose 10 points if you do not cite the page number when providing quotations. Please focus on the reading that raised the most questions or caused the greatest difficulty for those weeks when we have more than one assigned reading.

3 Essay Comparing Imaginaries of Bodies and Machiness (200300pts/230%): You will be required to write awrite two 65-87 page essaypapers that will compare and contrast how the relationship between bodies and machines has been imagined in different times and places. This paper will ask

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you to use examples from contemporary American culture. each be worth 100pts. Detailed instructions for each paper will be presented two weeks before the paper is due along with the grading rubric. You will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit this paper as long as you The first two of these essays will be re-graded if the revised version is submitted to the instructor seven days from the date they were returned to you.

Group Presentations(200pts/20%)Your group presentation will focus on a technological imaginary of the human body using specific examples from advertisements, television, films, comics, literature, video games, websites, news media, music, etc… Your group presentation should be no more than 15 minutes and should be delivered in an engaging way creatively incorporating elements of speech, dance, text, images, and/or music.

POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS5% will be deducted for each day the assignment is late. The only exception to this will be extreme extenuating circumstances such as family deaths and hospitalization of the student. Please contact me if you have any concerns about submitting an assignment on time and/or if you have any questions about this policy.

COURSE POLICIES & EXPECTATIONSGrades: Most students can expect to earn a B or C in this class if you have met the requirements outlined in this syllabus. An A, however, will mean that you have exceeded the requirements for this course. While devoting considerable time and energy to our coursework may be necessary for receiving a good grade— like a B —hard work alone will not be sufficient for receiving an outstanding grade like an A. Receiving an A means you will have demonstrated a thorough and accurate understanding of the course materials by applying key concepts to novel cases and situations. Restating in your own words examples from the readings, films, and/or class discussions will not earn you an A. Earning an A will mean that you have presented in a clear and compelling manner your own examples and connections based on an accurate understanding of key concepts. Revisions: Assignments 1-5 of the ethnography may be revised and re-graded as long as the student meets with the instructor to discuss the assignment and submits the assignment for re-grading no later than one week from the time of their meeting.

Deadlines: D2L posts and Papers must be turned in by the time indicated in the syllabus. 5% of total points for the assignment will be deducted for each day it is late.

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Attendance: In-class discussions and activities will be a central feature of this class. You will be expected to attend all classes for the full scheduled time. Arriving to class late on two or more occasions will be counted as an absence. You are allowed two absences for any reason. Fifty points will be taken from your final grade (out of 1000) for each additional class missed. You will be responsible for submitting assignments ahead of time and for getting notes from your classmates if you miss class.

Readings: This is a reading-intensive class. You will be expected to read between 30-50 pages every week. Please do not take this class if you feel that this is too much reading. All readings must be completed prior to the class meeting for which they are scheduled. You arewill be expected to bring the scheduled readings with you to class since we will be making reference to them during referring to the readings in our class discussions. You will be expected to cite relevant passages that are relevant to our discussion and that support points that you make in discussion. You will also be asked to read aloud from passages in the assigned reading.

All required and recommended articles and book chapters will be made available on our D2l websiteline.

Technology: Laptop computers and other digital devices should be used only for instructional purposes during class. Checking email browsing the web, texting, etc... will be considered disruptive behavior and a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. You will receive a verbal warning for the first occurrence. Any recurrence will result in losing all points for attendance and participation (20% of grade).a minimum of fifty points from your final grade (out of 1000).

Attitude: This class is devoted to a thorough and complete exploration of the relationship between bodies and machines. When I say "bodies", I mean all aspects of the human body.

Be aware that our readings, films, and class discussions will sometimes include topics that some people may findeel are offensive and/or disturbing (for example attitudes and behaviors related to sex and sexuality, gender, race, violence, religion, politics, etc… sexuality and violence).

As a cultural anthropologist, I consider it indispensable to study all aspects of the human experience-- experiences that range from what some might consider the sublime and solemn to the depraved and disgusting-- and everything in between. This means that you will sometimes need to adopt an attitude of critical detachment

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regarding your own values and beliefs to get the most out of this class.

Accordingly, for the duration of this class you will be expected to adopt the attitude of a cultural anthropologist. This will mean being non-judgmental (ethnocentric) about the behaviors and beliefs that we will read about and discuss. You will be expected to try and understand foreign behaviors and beliefs from the perspective of those who hold them. The point here is to strive for understanding, not evaluation and judgment accordin g to your own values and beliefs, but according to the values and beliefs of the individuals and groups under consideration- what some anthropologists refer to as "the natives point of view."

Community: Bodies and Machines has a Facebook page and a YouTube channel that you will be expected to utilize for class discussion and research purposes. will be available in late January. The YouTube channel haswill have numerous videos that deal with a wide range of topics related to the class ranging from Cartesian philosophy and robotics, to post-Transhumanism and cell phone commercials. The Facebook page contains a wide range of resources that relate to the course.

YouTube playlist can be found @ will be for students past and present who have taken this class and have remained interested in continuing our conversations and explorations. No class credit will be associated with either of these sites. Details on how to access these sites will be provided later in January.http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRI9krtdYpbQOfnOnHdBaJrE_I-mYzwb7

Facebook community page can be found @https://www.facebook.com/BodiesANDMachines?ref=hl

COURSE ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENTAttendance (50pts/5%: individual grade): You can miss any two days for any reason and receive full credit for attendance. Arriving late and leaving early will be counted as an absence. Three or more days of being absent will result in 0 points for attendance.

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Participation (150pts/15%: individual grade):The course will require full participation (including active listening, facilitating, note-taking, and asking questions). Successful participation in this class will mean engaging with the readings in a thoughtful way that demonstrates you have completed the assigned reading and are engaging with relevant ideas and issues both from the reading in question as well as other sources including but not limited to personal experience and current events. Furthermore your class participation should integrate and build upon the ideas of your classmates, guest students, and/or the instructor. Students will be expected to treat each others with respect when it comes to differences of interpretation and opinion.

In-Class Discussion Groups: On the first day of class you will divide into a group of between 35 and 6 students. This will be your discussion group for the duration of the semester (as well as your presentation group). Throughout the semester you will be periodically asked to convene your group during class to discuss the assigned reading and to share your questions and/or comments with the rest of the class.

Reading Notes (30150pts/3015%) Due every Thursday in class.Every week, for fifteen weeks, you will be required to submit two paragraphs of reading notes. To receive full credit (210pts) you will need to do two things: 1) describe the authors thesis in your own words followed by quoting the passage which you think contains the thesis statement and 2) discuss an aspect of the article that was unclear and/or confusing. R eading notes will be due in class every Thursday. You can choose which reading to write about for those weeks that have two assigned readings.

Blogging (200pts/20%): You will be required to post approximately two double spaced pages in response to ten blog prompts. To receive full credit (20pts) you will need to answer the question fully with relevant and well chosen examples from course readings, outside sources, and personal experience.

2 Essays (200pts/20%): You will be required to write two 5-7 page papers that will each be worth 150pts. Detailed instructions for each paper will be presented two weeks before the paper is due along with the grading rubric. The first two of theseese essays will be re-graded if the revised version is submitted to the instructor seven days from the date they were returned to you.

Final PaperYour final paper will be a 8-10 page research paper where you will write about a technological imaginary of the human body using specific examples from advertisements, television, films, comics, literature, video games, websites, news media, music, etc…

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Final Paper Conference Presentation(200pts/20%)You will deliver your final paper during the Bodies and Machines Conference which will be held during the last two weeks of class. Your group presentation will focus onYour group final paper presentation should be no more than 15 minutes and should be delivered in an engaging way creatively incorporating elements ofthat usesspeech, dance, text, images, and/orsound, music, and/or audience participation.

POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS5% will be deducted for each day the assignment is late. The only exception to this will be extreme extenuating circumstances such as family deaths and hospitalization of the student. Please contact me if you have any concerns about submitting an assignment on time and/or if you have any questions about this policy.Unless prior arrangements have been made, I will not accept or grade assignments submitted after the deadline. The only exception to this will be extreme extenuating circumstances such as family deaths and hospitalization of the student. Please contact me if you have questions or concerns about this policy.

COURSE CONDUCT AND CAMPUS POLICIES (BE FAMILIAR WITH ALL CAMPUS POLICIES)

1. I will be giving you my undivided attention during our time together in the classroom and I expect you to do the same. This means that I will expect you to refrain from engaging in activities during class time that are unrelated to the course (for example texting or writing notes to your classmates, updating your Facebook page, doing work for other classes, reading the newspaper, playing cards, doing crossword puzzles, watching movies, listening to music, etc….) This will be considered disruptive behavior and a violation of item 5 in the University of Arizona’s Code of Academic Integrity. This item of the code prohibits "failing to observe rules of academic integrity established by a faculty member for a particular course." http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/codeofacademicintegrity#prohibited_conduct

I take a violation of this expectation very seriously.

You will receive a verbal warning for the first occurrence and any recurrence will result in losing all points for attendance and participation (20% of grade).

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2. Food and technologies are issues in classrooms. Cellular telephones are distracting, so please put them away. Laptops can be utilized, but only for note-taking purposes. Please follow classroom rules regarding food and beverages in the classroom.

32. In that this is a safe environment for sharing and generating unique ideas, please try to be “open” to diverse perspectives and learn from others who may pose views that differ from your own. At times, course material might seem ‘offensive,’ but try to wrangle with new ideas and consider a variety of perspectives instead of simply rejecting ideas posed in course-related discussion. When sharing your own ideas, do not subject others to inappropriate language or problematic assumptions about social groups.

43. Rules on academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. Plagiarism is literary thievery, taking the words or ideas of another and representing them as your own. Do not copy another student’s work, pull text from online sources, or turn in the same work for this class that you have used in another class. All work turned in must be original and specific to this course. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties (e.g., failing grade or removal from the University). Students are encouraged to share intellectual views and discuss freely the principles and applications of course materials. However, graded work/exercises must be the product of independent effort unless otherwise instructed. As previously mentioned, sStudents are expected to adhere to the UA Code of Academic Integrity http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/codeofacademicintegrity .

Arrangements can be made if you have a physical challenge or condition that could impair your participation and/or performance in this course. Please notify the instructor immediately if you need accommodation, and register with Disability Resources so that I can make accommodation: Disability Resources Center, 1224 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, (520) 621-3268, FAX (520) 621-9423, email: uadrc@email.arizona.edu, http://drc.arizona.edu/. You must register and request that the Center or DRC send me official notification of your accommodations needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate. The need for accommodations must be documented by Disability Resources.

The Arizona Board of Regents’ Student Code of Conduct, ABOR Policy 5-308, prohibits threats of physical harm to any member

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of the University community, including to one’s self. See: http://policy.web.arizona.edu/~policy/threaten.shtml.

All student records will be managed and held confidentially. http://www.registrar.arizona.edu/ferpa/default.htm

Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policy, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

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Spring Semester 2013International Undergraduate Orientation January 2-4, 2013

International Graduate Orientation January 3-4, 2013

Classes begin January 9, 2013Martin Luther King Jr Holiday - no classes January 21, 2013

Spring recess March 9-17, 2013

Last day of classes and laboratory sessions May 1, 2013

Reading Day - no classes or finals May 2, 2013

Final examinations begin May 3, 2013Final examinations end May 9, 2013Spring Commencements  May 10 -11, 2013

Degree award date for students completing by close of Spring Semester May 11, 201

DUE DATES FOR ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAM

TUE SEP 10TH Paper 1: Technology MemoriesTUE SEP 17TH Paper 2: Gender NormsTUE SEP 24TH Paper 3: Reflections on No-Tech ChallengeTHU OCT 3RD Mid-Term ExamTUE OCT 29TH ESSAY: Comparing Imaginaries of

Bodies and MachinesTUE DEC 17TH 1-3pm Group Presentations

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List of key concepts that you will be expected to define and illustrate with relevant

examples. A list of these will be posted for each week on our D2l page. These key concepts

will be the basis for pop quizzes

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COURSE OUTLINE:BODIES AND MACHINESNote that the following course outline is subject to change. You

will be informed of any changes in advance. Check our course homepage frequently for updates and any changes to the syllabus.

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UNIT ONE: CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON BODIES AND MACHINES IN CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVECULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE HUMAN BODY AND THE MACHINE TECHNOLOGY------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1|Approaches to the body, technology and society.Thinking Critically Aug 25-29 About How Do We Make Sense ofInterpret our Experience of Bodies and Machines?Bodies and MachinesIntroductions

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D2l Post due @ 5PM on Aug 29 READ| David Cevetello, The Elite Glucometer, 64-68.

From Evocative Objects.Joel Garreau (2005) Be All You Can Be, 15-44. From Radical Evolution. WATCH| ABC News Segment on Bodies and Machines

http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/dec-22-1997-man-machine-15209253

WATCH|ABC News Bodies and Machines from 1997 http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/dec-22-1997-man-machine-

15209253DISCUSSION| This segment dates from 1997—a couple of years

after you were born. What’s changed and what has remained the same? Do we still view the relationship between humans and machines in the same way?

READ| David Cevetello, The Elite Glucometer, 64-68; Stefan Helmreich, The SX-70 Instant Camera, 210-215;

Annalee Newitz, My Laptop, 86-91. All from:Sherry Turkle (2007), Ed. Evocative Objects. Cambridge,

MA: MIT.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION| MonAug1/26th 10 Introduction to the Class

Compare your relationship to your body with your relationship to the most important machine(s) in your life. What are the similarities and differences? How do these machines augment or otherwise enhance your physical abilities? How do they hinder or otherwise diminish you? Describe what you depend on them for and how you feel about this dependence. Compare your relationship to these machines with Cevetello’s relationship to his glucometer. LECTURE| What is a “body” and what is a “machine”? How are the meanings associated with each word similar to each other and how do they differ? How can such considerations lead us to critically evaluate what it means to be human, what it means to be alive, how we distinguish between what is natural and what is artificial, and how we define what is real as distinct from what is imagined?duction to the class

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1 /15 Be ready to discuss: Carol Delaney (2004) Our Bodies Ourselves, 231-265. From Investigating Culture.

Questions you should be able to answer for this section: How do anthropologists conduct their research? Define the following terms: ethnography, fieldwork, participant-observation, culture, cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, emic, etic, discourse, symbol, tacit, interpretation, representation, and social constructivism. How do anthropologists distinguish between the biological and cultural dimensions of the human body? What does it mean to say that the human body has a history? How is the human body socially and culturally “constructed”? What would be some examples? What did Marcel Mauss mean by the term “techniques of the body” and what would be some contemporary examples?

Objective for the week: We have an intimare relationship to both our boduies and machines and define them in relatrion to each other.Wed Aug. 28th READING| Be prepared to discuss: David F. Channell’s (1991) The Mechanical and the Organic, 3-10. Ch.1 The Vital Machine: A Study of Technology and Organic Life. New York: Oxford University Press.

DISCUSS| Refer to the questions from Mondays lecture.

Fri Aug. 30th

DISCUSSION OF CHANNELLRESPONDACTIVITY| Be prepared to give examples of how the boundaries between organic and mechanical life are currently being redrawn. Identify the values and beliefs that are at stake in the blurring of these boundaries. Come to class with examples taken from Your examples should be taken from the articles, websites, and/or videos to be found on the Bodies and Machines Facebook page.ANDOUT|

Doing Anthropology http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/315-doing-anthropology

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Week 2| Sep 3-5 Thinking Anthropologically about Bodies and Machines

D2L Post due @ 5PM on Sep 1 READ| Luke Eric Lassiter (2009) Anthropology and

Culture, 35-68. From Invitation to Anthropology.

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Horace Miner (1956), The Nacirema, 1-5. TURN IN TO DROPBOX| Ethnography Proposal Friday Sep 5

by 10PM--------------------------------------------------------------------------Introduction to the Cultural ation ofthe BodyHistory and Anthropology of the Body and Technology: Making the Strange Familiar and the Familiar Strange. Watch First Contact prior to Tuesday's class (available on D2L)

Teue Jan. 15 Lecture Carol Delaney (2004) Our Bodies Ourselves, 231-

265. From Investigating Culture.

Video: National Geographic Incredible Human MachineREADINGS| Carol Delaney (2004), Our Bodies, Ourselves, 230-263; Horace Miner, The Nacirema, 1-5 and Alexandra Howson, Introduction From The Body in Society, 1-15.

S Week 3| Sep 8-12 Introduction to the Cultural

Interpretation of the Body D2L Post due @ 5PM on Sep 7 READ| Carol Delaney (2004), Our Bodies, Ourselves, 230-

263; From Investigating Culture. WATCH| Professor Natasha Schull (MIT) discusses her

anthropological research on video poker machines and the casino industry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUuIq8w9Nxg

Introduction to the Cultural Interpretation of Technology

WATCH ON D2L PRIOR TO MONDAY: Fit: Episodes in the History of the Body.

PAPER 1 DUE IN CLASS: Technology MemoriesVideo: National Geographic Incredible Human MachineREADINGS| Rudi Volti Ch/1 The Nature of Technology,3-18.Joel Garreau (2005) Be All You Can Be, 15-44.

, norms, tacit knowledge, habitus 6DISCUSSSION| Come to class ready to discuss specific

examples from your personal experience that illustrate when you have thought of yourself as being your body versus having a body? Make note of the circumstances that tend to promote one experience of the body versus the other. What are the patterns that emerge? Define

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what Delaney means by the following concepts of the body and how we can distinguish between them: the gendered body; the physical body, and the social body.

Fri Sept 13READING| Horace Miner (1956) Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, 265-269. Carol Delaney Investigating Culture: An Experiential Introduction to Anthropology. New York: Blackwell.

DISCUSSSION| Describe how the Nacirema try to make their bodies conform to cultural norms or standards. How do these techniques of the body relate to particular values and beliefs held by the Nacirema?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 4| Sep 15-19 Introduction to the Cultural Interpretation of Technology

D2L Post due @ 5PM on Sep 14 READ| Rudi Volti (2009) The Nature of Technology, 3-18.

From Society and Technological Change.Studs Turkel (1974) Introduction, xiii-xxx. From Working.

TURN IN TO DROPBOX| Background Research Friday Sep 19 by 10PM

Mon Sept 16 PAPER 2ASSIGNMENT DUE IN CLASS| Gender Norms This will

be a 3 page paper (double spaced, 12 pt font, 1 inch margins)

that includes two advertisements from a media source. One image should be of a man, and one of a woman. For each ad you should do three things: First, describe the person in the ad: body image, stance, expression, and so on. Second, discuss why you think this particular image helps to sell whatever product is being advertised. Third, discuss how this particular image helps to sell whatever product is being advertised. Third, discuss how this image communicates something about the culture’s notion of males and females. If you have time, ask some of your friends to comment on the photos as well and include their comments in your analysis. Some of you will be asked to share your findings with the class so be sure to bring the images with you in a format that can be shown on the classroom computer.

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positivism, individualism, society, culture. ofThe way we interpret experience is shaped by our perspective. How can we distinguish between the perspective we have as individuals and the perspective that we have acquired as members of social groups sharing a particular culture? What is a cultural perspective or worldview? How have these shaped the way people interpret and experience machines, their bodies and the bodies of others now and in the past?

READING: Luke Eric Lassiter (2009) Anthropology and Culture, 35-68.

LECTURE| A historical consideration of the word “technology” can help us see more clearly how our understanding of the boundaries between science, art, and practical knowledge have changed over time. Focusing on the social and cultural dimensions of technology can help us contextualize these changes ining meanings. Key concepts: Utilitarianism, idealism, materialism, discourse, black box, technological determinism, social construction of technology, social shaping of technology.

READING| Alfred Gell’s (1988) Technology and Magic, 6-9. Anthropology Today, Vol. 4, No. 2, April.

Thueu Jan. 17 Be ready to discuss:Carol Delaney (2004) Our Bodies Ourselves, 231-265. From Investigating Culture.Fri Sept 20

READING| Norbert Elias’s The Rise of the Fork and excerpts from Galen Cranz’s, How Chairs Evolved.

DISCUSSSION| Be prepared to discuss—and clearly

distinguish between—the social, cultural, and utilitarian dimensions of forks and chairs. How do they exemplify the “circuitousness” of technology, as discussed by Gell (6-7)? How can they be said to be “technologies of enchantment” as defined by Gell (7-8)?

WEEK-END ACTIVITY: No-Tech Challenge| Abstain from using any communication or screen-based technology for 8 hours (Computer, smart phone, tablet, television, etc…). Notify friends and family prior to starting that you will be out of touch for an 8 hour period. Keep a journal of how you approached this challenge in terms of strategy, your mood, your thoughts, your interactions with others, any changes in your behavior, and how long you were able to last. Write a 3 page summary of your experience due in class on Tue Sept 23.

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Horace Miner: The Nacirema. First Contact

Tuehu Jan. 2219 Be ready to discuss:Norbert Elias: The Rise of the Fork.Galen Cranz: How Chairs Evolved.

Assignment over the week-end: The No-Tech ChallengeAssignment:For next week, No-Tech Challenge-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 3|History and Anthropology of the Body and Technology: Making the Strange Familiar and the Familiar Strange.Our Technologies, Ourselves: Thinking Critically About Our Relationship to Technology

Blog 1 Due Monday (23rd) by 5pm Tue Jan. 22 Be ready to discuss:Horace Miner: The Nacirema.

Thu Jan. 2417 Be ready to discuss:Horace Miner: The Nacirema.

Norbert Elias: The Rise of the Fork. Galen Cranz: How Chairs Evolved. Reading Notes Due

Assignment over the week-end: The No-Tech Challenge

First Contact

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tue Jan. 22 Be ready to discuss:Norbert Elias: The Rise of the Fork.Galen Cranz: How Chairs Evolved.

Week 4|Our Technologies, Ourselves: Thinking Critically About Our Relationship to TechnologyThueu Jan. 24 Be ready to discuss:

Tue Jan. 29 Be ready to discuss: Nancy Baym: Making New Media Make Sense.

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Thuue Jan. 3129 LectureReading Notes Due and discussion.Essay 1 Due Sunday (Feb 3) 5pm- Upload to Dropbox

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 5|Joel Garreau (2005) Be All You Can Be, 15-44.

PAPER 3 DUE: Reflections on No-Tech ChallengeSdescribes the role of these technologies in your life

ING Alexis Madrigal (2013) The Machine Zone: This is Where you Go When You Just Can’t Stop Looking at Pictures on Facebook, The Atlantic, July 13, 1-15.Atlantic article

DISCUSS: Evaluate the extent to which Schull’s analysis of gambling machines can be applied to our everyday use of digital technologies. Fri Sept 27LECTURE: What are the conventional distinctions that we make between bodies, persons, and machines? What is the history of these distinctions? How are the boundaries between these concepts being redrawn today? What are the values, beliefs, and social relationships that are associated with these ideas? How can a consideration of the history of the idea of living machines help us understand these issues better?

READ: KangWeek 6|Uncanny Bodies

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READING: Minsoo Kang (2012) The Power of the Automaton, 38-54. Sublime Dreams of Living Machines: The Automaton in the European Imagination. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Showing of Allison de Fren’s documentary The Mechanical Bride, 7:00PM Center for Creative Photography, Auditorium.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIT TWO: INTERPRETING BODIES AND MACHINESFROM PRE-MODERN TO MODERN BODIES--------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 5|Sep 22-26 Our Technologies, Our Selves?

D2L Post due @ 5PM on Sep 21 READ| Alexandra Howson (2013) Introduction 1-15.

From The Body in Society.Belk (2004) Men and their Machines, 273-278. From Advances in Consumer Research.Natasha Schull (2011) Video Poker, 153-171. From The Inner History of Devices.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 6|Sep 29-Oct 3 Embodiment and Selfhood

D2L Post due @ 5PM on Sep 28 READ| Alexandra Howson (2013) The Body in Everyday

Life, 16-49. From The Body in Society.Anne Pollock (2011) The Internal Cardiac Defibrillator,

98-110. From The Inner History of Devices. TURN IN TO DROPBOX| Field Notes Friday Oct 3 by 10PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 76|Oct 6-10 Illness and Suffering D2L Post due @ 5PM on Oct 5 READ| Arthur Frank (2001) At the Will of the Body, 1-

63.

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PRE-MODERN AND NON-WESTERN BODIES

READING: E.E Evans-Pritchard (1976) The Notion of Witch-Craft Explains Unfortunate Events, 18-25.

READING: Irving A. Hallowell (1955) The Ojibwa Self and

Its Behavioral Environment, 38-45.

WATCH IN CLASS: Clip from Strangers Abroad Series- Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard: Strange Beliefs

DISCUSSION OF PRITCHARD READING: How does Evans-Pritchard distinguish between the rational and the superstitious in his discussion of Azande witch-craft? What does he suggest is the social purpose of witch-craft? Describe the similarities and the differences that you see between Azande witch-craft and modern-day American medicine.

DISCUSSION OF HALLOWELL READING: How are Ojibwa

understandings and beliefs regarding the boundaries of the body similar to and how are they different from American understandings? Specifically, how do the Ojibwa understand and experience the boundaries of their bodies and their selves in relation to the external world?

OPTIONAL ING--------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 87|Oct 13-17 Modern Understandings of the BodySex and Gender

D2L Post due @ 5PM on Oct 12Tue Oct 15TH

READ| Alexandra Howson (2013) The Body, Gender and Sex, 50-84. From The Body in Society.

WATCH| Jennifer Robertson on Japan’s Robot Nation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9HgYHSJUP0

The Mechanical Bride TURN IN TO DROPBOX| Interview Friday Oct 17 by 10PM

READ: Rene Descartes (1986)[1640] Meditations on First Philosophy, 3-23. Edited by John Cottingham, Meditations on First Philosophy: With Selections from the Objections and Replies. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

OPTIONAL READING: Ian Hacking (2007) Our Neo-Cartesian Bodies in Parts, 78-105. Critical Inquiry, Vol. 34, No. 1.READING: Justin Leiber (1994) Introduction, 1-15. Julian Offray de la Mettrie (1751) Man A Machine, 73-76. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett

Baym chapter on thinking about new mediaChapter from book: The Chair

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(Have a group of students do a search of the word “technology” in the new york times index from the 19th century onwards)

Questions you should be able to answer: What is technology? How is it different from technique? What is the history of the word “technology” and how its meaning has changed over time? Distinguish between social construction of technology, technological determinism, and social shaping of technology. Apply this to a paper where you reflect on your experience of the no-tech challenge and current debates on the impact that social media are having on human communication and relationships- videos by Baym and Turkle.

Week 4 | Introducing Embodiment and Experience: A Phenomenological Perspectives on Bodiesthe Bodand Machinesy

Identify specific examples that illustrate h.--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 9|Oct 20-24 Shame and Embarrassment D2L Post due @ 5PM on Oct 19 READ| Alexandra Howson (2013) The Civilized Body, 85-

114. From The Body in Society. WATCH| Excerpts from Race: The Power of an Illusion and Fit: Episodes in the History of the Body

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 10|Oct 27-31 Desire and Pleasure

D2L Post due @ 5PM on Oct 26 READ| Alexandra Howson (2013) The Body in Consumer

Culture 115-149. From The Body in Society. Leon Kass Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit

of Happiness http://frontrow.bc.edu/program/kass/TURN IN TO DROPBOX| Draft Ethnography Friday by 10PM

WATCH| Leon Kass Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit of Happiness http://frontrow.bc.edu/program/kass/

TURN IN TO DROPBOX| Draft Ethnography Friday Oct 31 by 10PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 11|Nov 3-7 The Boundary Between Life and DeathPower and Knowledge

D2L Post due @ 5PM on Nov 2 READ| Alexandra Howson (2013) Regulating the Body, 150-

178. From The Body in Society.

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Aslihan Sanal (2011) The Dialysis Machine, 138-152. From The Inner History of Devices.

WATCH| Excerpts from Race: The Power of an Illusion and Fit: Episodes in the History of the Body

WATCH PRIOR TO CLASS: Michel Foucault: Beyond Good and Evil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQHm-mbsCwk

Week 8| The Modern Body and Technologies of Power: Introducing Michel Foucault.

READING: Michel Foucault (1976) The Body of the Condemned, 3-31. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. New York: Vintage.

WATCH BEFORE CLASS on D2L: The Truman Show

READING: William G. Staples (1997) The Scaffold, the Penitentiary, and Beyond, 13-30. The Culture of Surveillance: Discipline and Social Control in the United States. New York, NY: St. Martins.

What are the “new techniques” that Staples is referring to? Is Truman’s body isolated from everyday life so that he can be watched and regulated more effectively or have his activities and lifestyle been structured in such a way that he is always being regulated and in a sense “disciplining” himself? Think

31

of how can we relate this discussion to real world examples?

Essay 1 Due Friday (Feb 1) 5pm- Upload to DropboxESSAY ONE DUE BY 5PM ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 5TH- UPLOAD TO DROPBOX

Tuehu Feb. 5Jan. 31 LectureBe ready to discuss:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIT THREE: EMBODIMENT AND EXPERIENCE: PHENOMENOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON BODIES AND MACHINES -----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 9| Distinguishing between Biomechanical and Phenomenological Perspectives on the Body

ESSAY DUE IN CLASS: Comparing Imaginaries of Bodies and Machines

OPTIONAL READING: James Marcum (2004) Biomechanical and Phenomenological Models of the Body, the Meaning of Illness and Quality of Care. Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy 7:311-320.

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READING: Arthur Frank (1991) At the Will of the Body: Reflections on Illness, 1-63. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin

10WATCH PRIOR TO CLASS on D2L: The Diving Bell and the ButterflyTueNov5th

READING: Arthur Frank (1991) At the Will of the Body: Reflections on Illness. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin

WATCH IN CLASS: Daniel C. Dennett on Artificial Intelligence

http://bigthink.com/videos/daniel-dennett- investigates-artificial-intelligence

DISCUSSION: How compatible is the quest for tele-presence with a phenomenological understanding of the body? Are these technologies attempting to leave the “real” body behind and create a new tele or virtual body or are they leading to new forms of embodiment, lived experience, and communication? Will they lead to a future of new forms of experience, expression, and connectedness to others or will they enchant us with virtual realities and interfaces that will limit our creative expression and disconnect us from authentic experiences of ourselves and others? Fri Nov 1

DISCUSSION: What do efforts at creating tele-presence teach us about human embodiment?

W atch: Daniel C. Dennett on Artifical Intelligence

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http://bigthink.com/videos/daniel-dennett- investigates-artificial-intelligence

DISCUSSION: What do the experience of illness and efforts at creating tele-presence teach us about human embodiment?

The Frank book raises issues about the boundaries of the body, as well as the abject. It raises questions about what is on the inside and what is on the outside of the body and how technology can be used to disconnect us from ourselves and how the experience of self is intimately bound up with an experience of body, with selfhood itself embodied and rooted in bodily experience.

UNIT THREE: BODIES AND MACHINES CONFERENCEANSGRESSION--------------------------------------------------------------------------The Frank book raises issues about the boundaries of the body, as well as the abject. It raises questions about what is on the inside and what is on the outside of the body and how technology can be used to disconnect us from ourselves and how the experience of self is intimately bound up with an experience of body, with selfhood itself embodied and rooted in bodily experience.

How is Frankenstein’s monster a technological body and what boundaries does it transgress and with what consequences.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Intro to phenomenology and the idea of embodiment.

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Excerpt from Husserl, Merleau-Ponty or Drew Leder, or Michael Levin, or Edward Casey

Week 19| The Body and Cultural Categories ideas and practices of purity and pollutionREADING: Alexandra Howson (2004) The Civilized Body,67-92. The Body in Society: An Introduction. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press

DISCUSSION/ACTIVITY: Bring in examples of emotional responses to technologies that mix up boundaries such as life/death, animal/human, body/machine, nature/culture.

Mathew Immergut (2010) Manscaping: The Tangle of Nature, Culture, and Male Body Hair,287-304. Lisa Jean Moore and Mary Kosut (2010)The Body Reader: Essential Social and Cultural Readings. New York, NY: New York University. g…READING: Brian Bloomfield and Theo Vurdubakis (2008) Re-Engineering the Human: New Reproductive Technologies and the Specter of Frankenstein. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 17:1195-1200.

GROUP LED

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 12|Nov 10-14 The Body of Frankenstein’s Monster

StudentEthnography Presentations D2L Post due @ 5PM on Nov 9 Nov 18LECTURE: TBA READ: Frankenstein, Vol. 1GROUP LED

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nov 20READ: Frankenstein, Vol. 2 & 3 GROUP LED TBA

Nov 22GROUP LED -----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 13|Nov 17-21 StudentEthnography Presentations

D2L Post due @ 5PM on Nov 16--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 14|Dec 1-5 EthnographyStudent Presentations D2L Post due @ 5PM on Nov 30

In the Steps of Frankenstein’s Monster

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 15| Dec 8-10) Course Wrap up

D2L Post due @ 5PM on Dec 7 TURN IN TO DROPBOX| Final Ethnography Friday Dec 10 by

10PM

Mon Nov 25 READING: Brian Bloomfield and Theo Vurdubakis (2008) Re-

Engineering the Human: New Reproductive Technologies and the Specter of Frankenstein. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 17:1195-1200.

Hannah Landecker (2000) Immortality, In Vitro: A History of the HeLa Cell Line, 53-74. Paul Brodwin, Ed. Biotechnology and Culture: Bodies, Anxieties, Ethics. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

GROUP DISCUSSION:TBANO CLASS THU NOV 28TH THANKSGIVINGWed Nov 27Hannah Landecker (2000) Immortality, In Vitro: A History of the HeLa Cell Line, 53-74. Paul Brodwin, Ed. Biotechnology and Culture: Bodies, Anxieties, Ethics. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.GROUP DISCUSSION: TBAHabitus and Techniques of the Body-----------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIT FIVE: FROM MODERN TO POSTHUMANMODERN IMAGINARIES OF TECHNOLOGY, THE HUMAN BODY, AND BEYOND-----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 14| Cybernetics and Posthumanism

Cybernetic Imaginaries READING: Philip K. Dick (1968) Do Androids Dream of Electric

Sheep? OPTIONAL READING Katherine Hayles(1999) Prologue and Ch1.

Toward Embodied Virtuality,xi-xiv; 1-24. How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies, in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics. Berkeley, CA: University of California.

Reading Donna Haraway. From the industrial body to the post-industrial and what that means. Also the links between science fiction and science fact. The power of imaginaries.READING: Philip K. Dick (1968) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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Week 15| Imagining the Boundaries of the Human, Non-Human, and the Post-Human: Have we Become Posthuman or Have we Never Been Human?ism

Week 16| Group PresentationsFinal Presentations during exam week.Week 5 | Medical Technology and the Sick Body

18 Imagining the Body Electric in the Era of Industrialization

Carolyn Thomas de la Pena (2003) The Body Electric, 1-88.

Carolyn Thomas de la Pena (2003) The Body Electric, 88-200.

Racialized Visions of Industrial Bodies 71st Watch before Tuesday, Race: The Power of an Illusion, Part Two (D2L)

Ronald Takaki, From Iron Cages.

readyRonald Takaki, From Iron Cages.3Gendered Visions of Industrial Bodies Blog 8 Due Monday (8th) by 5pmTue April 9. Be ready to discuss Anthea Callen (2008) Man or Machine: Ideals of the

Laboring Male Body and the Aesthetics of Industrial Production in Early Twentieth Century Europe. From Art, Sex, and Eugenics: Corpus Delecti.

Watch before Thursday, Metropolis (D2L)Thu April 11. Be ready to discussLudmilla Jordanovich (1989) Science, Machines, and

Gender. From Sexual Visions.

4Eugenic Imaginaries of the Body Blog 8 Due Monday (15th) by 5pm Watch before Tuesday, Race: The Power of an Illusion, Part Two (D2L)Tue April 16. Be ready to discuss Wendy Kline (2001) Motherhood, Morality and the

"Moron". From Building a Better Race.

37

Thu April 18. Be ready to discussChristina Cogdell (2004) Products or Bodies?

Streamline Design and Eugenics as Applied Biology. From: Eugenic Design: Streamlining America in the 1930s.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 15|From Cybernetic to Post-Human Imaginaries and Beyond

Blog 9 Due Monday (22nd) by 5pm

Watch before Tuesday, Blade Runner (D2L)Tue April 23. Be ready to discuss

Philip K Dick (1968) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Thu April 25. Be ready to discuss Philip K Dick (1968) Do Androids Dream of

Electric Sheep?Tue April 9. Be ready to discussThu April 11. Be ready to discuss

Recommended article on Eugenics and Philip K Dickhttp://www.worldheadpress.com/ezine7/-----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 16|Exam Day: Group Presentations Final Reflections on Bodies and Machines

Group Presentations Tuesday December 17 , 1 - 3pm

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5Due Due Due Due Due Due Due Blog 10 Due Monday (29th) by 5pm

Paper 3 Due Sunday May 5 uploaded to Dropbox

Monday, May 6/Group presentations 3:30-5:30pm

Tue April 30 . Be ready to discuss . TBA

Discuss Frank: At The Will of the Body.

Guest Student: Medical doctor/patient- Doug Spegman?, Jeffrey Rhein?

UNIT TWO: THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION AND THE MAKING OF THE MODERN BODY

Questions you should be able to answer: Describe the major scientific and technological inventions of the 17th century. Explain the 17th century debate regarding the “animal machine”. How did scientists and artists of the period differ in their understanding of the similarities between the functioning of animal, human, and machine bodies? Explain the role played in these debates by the invention of linear perspective vision. Compare and contrast the views of Rene Descartes and Jules Offray de la Mettrie in the debate over what made human beings different (or not) from both animals and machines. Explain the idea of mind-body dualism and relate it to the 17the century debate over the animal-machine. What are the defining characteristics of a Cartesian perspective on the human body? Discuss some of the implications of this perspective for understanding ourselves as human beings and our ethical relationship to the natural world.

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Week 6 |Early Modern Science and the Birth of the Human Machine

Watch before class a documentary on the enlightenment, TBA

9/4 Be ready to discuss: Bruce Mazlish (1993) The Animal-Machine,14-30.

From The Fourth Discontinuity.

Week 7| The Cartesian Body (Visit by Rachna?)

Drew Leder?Excerpts from DescartesShould we, can we have a section on Descartes? (week 7?)

9/6 Be ready to discuss:Gaby Wood (2002) The Blood of an Android,3-59.

From: Edison’s Eve.

UNIT THREE: TECHNOLOGICAL IMAGINARIES OF THE HUMAN BODYQuestions you should be able to answer: What were the most important scientific and technological discoveries and inventions of the 18th century? What were the defining features of the following historical and cultural periods: the Enlightenment, Describe the scientific world view. Describe the role of the unconscious, symptoms, and dreams from a psychoanalytical perspective. What role does Romanyshyn see linear perspective vision playing in how Western culture imagines the human body and the relationship that humans have with the natural world. Which perspective best characterizes Romanyshyn’s thesis: technological determinism, social construction of technology, social shaping of technology?

Week 7|Psychological Perspectives on Technology and the Body

9/11 Be ready to discuss:Robert Romanyshyn (1989) Technology as Symptom and

Dream, 1-31.

9/13 Be ready to discuss:Robert Romanyshyn (1989) Technology as Symptom and Dream, 32-

64.

Class Visit to U of A Museum of Art for presentation on linear perspective vision

In class activity on Linear Perspetive with Honors Interdisciplinary Faculty Debra Gregerman

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------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 8 | September 18 and 20— Technologies of Vision and the Making of the Modern Self

Introduce the concept of the UncannyETA Hoffman, The SandmanWatch before class: City of Lost Children

9/18 Be ready to discuss:Robert Romanyshyn (1989) Technology as Symptom and

Dream, 65-102.

9/20 Be ready to discuss:Robert Romanyshyn (1989) Technology as Symptom and

Dream, 103-132.

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Week 9 | September 25 and 27—Frankenstein and the Making of Modern Bodies

9/25 Be ready to discuss:Frankenstein Vol. 1-2

Guest Student: Dr. Laura Berry 9/27 Be ready to discuss:

Frankenstein Vol. 3Watch before coming to class: BBC Documentary on

Frankenstein

------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 10 | October 2 and 4— Imagining the Body Electric in the Era of Industrialization

Be ready to discuss:Carolyn Thomas de la Pena (2003) The body

Electric, 1-88.

10/4 Be ready to discuss:Carolyn Thomas de la Pena (2003) The body

Electric, 88-200.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 11 | The Politics and Aesthetics of Industrial Bodies

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Anthea Callen (2008) Man or Machine: Ideals of the Laboring Male Body and the Aesthetics of Industrial Production in Early Twentieth Century Europe, 139-161. Fae Brauer andAnthea Calen (2008) Art, Sex, and Eugenics: Corpus Delecti.

Watch Prior to class and be ready to discuss: Metropolis

Week 12| Eugenic Imaginaries of the Perfectible BodyRace: The Power of an Illusion, Part Two: The Stories We Tell

Be Ready to Discuss: Christina Cogdell (2004) Products or Bodies?

Streamline Design and Eugenics as Applied Biology and Smooth Flow: Biological Efficiency and Streamline Design, 218-248. From: Eugenic Design: Streamlining America in the 1930s.

Guest Student: Sarah Moore, Art History?

Week 13|

Week 14|

Week 15| Presentations

Week 16| Presentations

Exams

----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 9| October 16 and 18 — Racial Science and the Normal Body

10/16 Watch Prior to class and be ready to discuss:

10/18 Be Ready to Discuss:Keith Wailoo (1997) Preface and Intro, Drawing Blood:

Technology and Disease Identity in Twentieth-Century America; (2007) Inventing the Heterozygote. From: Lock and Farquhar (2007) Beyond the Body Proper.

Guest Student: Kwan Lee, MD------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Week 10| October 23 and 25 — Medical Technology and the Making of American Bodies

10/23 Be ready to discuss:David Serlin (2004) Replaceable You: Engineering the Body in Postwar America, 22-158

10/25 Be ready to discuss:David Serlin (2004) Replaceable You: Engineering the Body in Postwar America, 158-190.

Group Three Presentation on Replaceable You

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Week 11| October 30 and November 1- Sex, Gender and Love Machines

10/3 Watch prior to class and be ready to discuss: The Mechanical Bride

11/1 Be ready to discuss: TBAGuest Lecture by Alison de Fren? (Film Studies, Occidental

College)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 12 | November 6 and 8- Machine's that Care

11/6 Be ready to discuss: Turkle, Part One The Robotic Moment

11/8 Watch and be ready to discuss: Robot and Frank-----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 13 | November 13 and 15 Cybernetic Selves

11/13 Be ready to discuss:Turkle, Part Two: Networked

11/15 Be ready to discuss:Turkle, Part Two: Networked

Group Four Presents on Turkle, ALone Together----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 14| November 20 Cyborgs

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11/20 Be ready to discuss: Donna Haraway (1993) A Cyborg Manifesto.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 15 | November 27 and 29 The Post-Human Imagination

11/27 Be ready to discuss: Philip K Dick (1968) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Group Five Presents on Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric SHeep?

11/29 Watch and be ready to discuss: Blade Runner

ESSAY #2 DUE FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30TH BY 5PM- UPLOAD TO DROPBOX

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 16| December 4 and 6 The Politics and Ethics of Post Humanism

12/4 Be ready to discuss: McIntosh (2008) Human, Transhuman, Posthuman, 4-16.

12/6 Watch and be ready to discuss: TBA

Guest Student Professor Susan Stryker? ----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 17| Dec 11 and 13 Self evaluation meetings

44