STS 2761 - Governing Everyday Life

• COURSE INFO
• SCHEDULE
• WORK REQUIRED
• POLICIES
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Instructor		Prof. Malte Ziewitz
Time		Tuesday/Thursday, 1.25-2.40pm
Location		Uris Hall G88
Cross‑listed as		SOC 2760

Traffic lights, elevators, and recycling bins seem rather boring and irrelevant. Yet, while not usually on our minds when thinking about governance and regulation, these seemingly mundane technologies are important features of our lives. This course will take a closer look at everyday solutions to public problems. Combining hands-on exercises with readings from STS, sociology, and politics, we shall explore the role of everyday devices and technologies in establishing, maintaining, and disrupting social order:

• What is the role of rules, codes, and algorithms in public life?
• How to study things we take for granted?
• What are the implications for technology, accountability, and regulation?

Working through these questions will be particularly useful for students interested in social theory, design, and public policy.

Learning objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

1. Observe everyday phenomena of ordering and regulation and document their workings in text, image, video, and other media;
2. Analyze empirical materials and relate them to key concepts from science & technology studies, sociology, and politics;
3. Construct a compelling argument in writing that builds on documented evidence and arguments of others;
4. Challenge taken-for-granted assumptions about governance and regulation and consider alternative designs and policies.

The course does not provide a comprehensive overview of every area of computing and culture. Instead, our goal is to hone our analytic skills by engaging with a small number of trends in depth.

Approach

This is a laboratory class. We will not only discuss readings and ideas, but also engage in hands-on observation and analysis. This may include:

• playing and manipulating board games;
• designing breaching experiments;
• observing and analyzing recycling behavior at Cornell dining halls;
• navigating campus with sketched maps;
• reverse-engineering an elevator of your choice.

Studying these phenomena first-hand will help us understand, reflect upon, and possibly transform social science concepts where they matter most. This will be particularly useful for students interested in sociology, design, and public policy.

Prerequisites

No specific coursework required, except for a willingness to engage in hands-on exercises inside and outside the classroom. You should be able to read challenging texts carefully and critically and to write effective, coherent arguments.

As we will be working with pictures, notes, and video, I recommend that you bring your laptop to class. If available, you should also bring a smartphone or digital camera.

Questions about this course

Please email the instructor, Prof. Malte Ziewitz, at mcz35@cornell.edu.