Theory IV: If only: Design, Technology and Society
Design is mainly understood as an activity of creating more or less useful artifacts, but not necessarily as a political activity. However, the design of an artifact is always a political decision about how people should live, communicate, or behave.
The module aims to encourage critical engagement with the political component of design and its influence on human life, thought, and interaction. We will explore the political dimension of things and, conversely, the material dimension of politics through texts, videos, and concrete artifacts or situations.
In parallel, we will practice working through relevant literature and critically engage with textual material, while learning methods of academic work.