Week 1 – Introduction (Jan 7)

Weekly Readings:

– “Science, Technology, and Society: A Sociological Approach” by Wenda K. Bauchspies, Jennifer Croissant, and Sal Restivo. (Malden, MA : Blackwell Pub. 2006 Introduction, (pgs. 19-32)
– “Keywords for media studies,” edited by Laurie Ouellette and Jonathan Gray. (New York: New York University Press 2017)
Introduction (pgs. 1-5).

Lab 1 – Introductions

Week 2 – Race, Representation and Power  (Jan 17)

Weekly Readings:
-STS (pgs, 19-32)
-Race (pgs 161-165)
– Power (pgs.145-148)
– Representation (172-176)

Lab 2:  Workshop # 1. How to write an argument/thesis statement

In this workshop, you will be introduced to the concept of a thesis statement, which tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. A thesis statement is not the topic of your essay but the way you are going to interpret it and how you are going to persuade the reader of your interpretation.

1. Read and review How to write a thesis statement.
2. Working in small groups you will individually come up with a thesis statement based on the question posed by your TA.
3. You will then take turns evaluating each other’s thesis statement by asking each other the questions on “How do I know if my thesis is strong.”
4. Submit your thesis statement and the feedback received from the group evaluation (point 3) to CANVAS before the end of the Lab.

Week 3 – Technology and the Anatomy of an AI + Quiz #1 (Jan 21)

Reading Quiz # 1

Weekly Readings:
– STS (pgs, 32-48)
– Technology (pgs.191-193)
– Anatomy of an AI (Crawford and Joler)

Lab 3 :  Workshop #2  How to write an introduction paragraph.

In this workshop, you will write new argument  and develop an intro paragraph. The introductory paragraph of an academic essay is an important road map for the rest of your paper. Your introduction conveys a lot of information to your readers. You can let them know what your topic is, why it is essential, and how you plan to proceed with your discussion. Your introduction should :

– contain a thesis that will assert your main argument;
– give the reader a sense of the kinds of information you will use to make that argument and
– the general organization of the paragraphs and pages that will follow

 1. Read  “Strategies for writing an effective introductory paragraph” (Links to an external site.)
2. Review the examples in “Five Kinds of less effective introductory paragraphs” (Links to an external site.)
3. Now that you know how to write an effective introductory paragraph, write a new thesis statement based on the question posed in the lab and write an intro paragraph.
4. Ask one of your peers to evaluate your intro paragraph and submit the feedback along with your intro paragraph at the end of the lab.

Week 4 – Cyborgs, Humans and Tech + 4Cs Workshop (Jan 28)

Weekly Readings:

– Science, Technology and Society, ( pgs, 90-100)
– D.Glabau, Do Cyborgs Have Politics
– D. Haraway, Cyborg Manifesto

Week 5 – Cyborgs and Rituals of Science (Feb 4)

Weekly Readings:

– Science, Technology and Society, (SKIM 49-72)
– Keywords, Data (pg 55-58 )
– Keywords, Surveillance (pg. 186-188)-
– Feminism (68-72)

Lab 5: Discussion on Cyborgs ( Ribas, Harbisson and Black Mirror, San Junipero)

Week 6 – Midterm Review

Preparation for Midterm

Lab 6 : Workshop 4 – Essay Outline

Week 7- Reading Break (Feb 18 -23) – Prepare for Midterm and Draft 1 (Essay Outline)

Week 8 – Midterm Exam in Lecture ( Feb- 25)

Lab 8: In this lab TAs will introduce you to how to create an outline and discuss your topic in preparation for your draft #1.

Week 9  – Research Topic Workshop – Adena Brons (March 3)

Lab 9: In this lab, you will work in groups of 3 and review your Draft #1 using the handout provided by the TAs.

Note that you will need to submit:
1. A pdf or photo of the peer-review hand out at the end of the lab to Canvas
2. You need to keep a physical copy and use the feedback received to re-work your draft #2.

Week 10 – Film Screening in Lecture (March 10)

Lab 10: In this lab, you will continue to revise your drafts in small groups and meet individually with your TA if you booked an appointment in advance.

Make sure you are following the suggested steps to frame your essay (see below)

Then you will revise your introductory paragraph and highlight the areas of your essay that engage with reading course material and the areas in which you are using external academic sources.

Suggested steps to develop an essay for IAT 206W

For this assignment, you are being asked to join a conversation. You must identify and build on a major idea or themen discussed so far in the course. You will formulate your own paper topic, but the topic must arise directly from the themes presented in the IAT206W course materials (see list below).

1. Identify a debatable issue or problem-related to key themes presented below:

. Human and non-human relations mediated by technology.

. Technology and Science as a means to control different conceptions of Nature.

. Race and Gender as systems of exclusion or liberation under capitalism.

. Conflicting conceptions of technology and science

For this example, I selected:

“Human and non-human relations
mediated by technology.”

2. Formulate a research question. Look back at readings or media discussed in class and/or an issue that caught your attention and ask  Who?; What?; When?; Where?; and Why?

Example Research Question: “Can humans with implanted technologies develop more empathic relations with other organisms? (Research Question)”

3. Which class readings ( internal sources) related to that question/theme?

For this example, the readings that can help me answer my question are:

– Glabau, Do Cyborgs Have Politics?
– Technology
– STS – Technological Determinism
– Power

4. Look for 3 academic sources that relate to the theme. Use SFU library databases.

5. You can also select one of the films/tv-episodes that we watched in class to help the development of your argument. You can use a scene, a character or a plot of one of the movies as an example.

Week 11- Media Workshop – Lecture and Lab

Lab 11: Due to COVID-19, this lab moved online. TAs will be hosting 10 minute individual online appointments during lab time with students that sign up via CANVAS calendar. TAs will contact you with a link if you signed up for a meeting.

Week 12- Draft 2- Online Ethical Writing Workshop and Individual Lab Meetings

Week 13 – (March 31) Final submission