Course Image Gender and (Digital) Public Spheres: An Introduction to Theory and Concepts - SoSe24

Gender and (Digital) Public Spheres: An Introduction to Theory and Concepts - SoSe24

On social media issues such as gender-inclusive language, LGBTIQ+ rights, and gender identity are highly contested. However, gender-related issues not only spark heated debates involving a variety of different actors but public spheres themselves are marked by gendered power dynamics. This course looks at gender as an important structural element within (digital) public spheres. Participants will explore theories and concepts of (digital) public spheres and critically analyze the representation of gender in (digital) public spheres, including the portrayal of women and LGBTQ+ individuals.  Requirements: Regular attendance and active participation is required. Further a presentation on one of the seminar texts must be hold. For 6 ECTS a short paper must be written (approx. 10 pages). For 9 ETCS a seminar paper (approx. 25 pages) must be submitted. Deadline for the short paper (6 ECTS) and the seminar paper (9 ECTS):  30 September 2024
Course Image History of Computing: Work, Gender and Environmental Issues - SoSe24

History of Computing: Work, Gender and Environmental Issues - SoSe24

The course relies on the history of computing in order to contextualize the emergence of key contemporary technologies, especially the ones connected to artificial intelligence, algorithms, big data, robotics/automation, platforms and the social media. While focusing on the discourses and materialities that defined the history of computing, it pays attention to the way the design and use of the computer was shaped by issues of relevance to work, gender and the environment. Continuities and changes during a series of important transitions receive special attention: from the pre-war human (usually female) computers to computer machines, from the emergence of the concepts ‘digital’ and ‘analog’ to the appearance of the concepts ‘hardware’ and ‘software’, from the mainframes to the personal computers and their net/internet interconnections, from time-sharing to the web, and from the discourse about a postindustrial society to that about one more (4th) industrial revolution. The course takes advantage of the EUV participation in the ERASMUS+ project ‘Innovative Ethics Education for Major Technological and Scientific Challenges’.
Course Image Science, Technology, Sustainability - SoSe24

Science, Technology, Sustainability - SoSe24

The course aims at providing an in-depth understanding of the challenge of environmental sustainability as it may be connected to specific technological and scientific artifacts and infrastructures. The emphasis will be placed on artifacts and infrastructures of relevance to renewable and conventional energy. The course is designed so as to provide an elaborate understanding of the actors, concepts and policies involved in the definition and pursuit of sustainability/renewability. It will introduce to competing definitions of sustainability, debates over the emergence of technical and scientific expertise on sustainability, and comparisons of sustainability policies. The course takes advantage of the EUV participation in the ERASMUS+ project ‘Innovative Ethics Education for Major Technological and Scientific Challenges’.