First-Year Seminar (105-6-20)

Topic

Race and Technology: Being Human in the Post-Racia

Instructors

Robert Anthony Ward

Meeting Info

Allison Residential Comm 1021: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

While the primary focus of our course will be improving your writing, we will do so by asking questions regarding our evolving relationship with technology and whether it alters the ways in which "race", ethnicity, and culture are performed in society. The primary focus is on the ideology of "race" as a social construction, and how might technological advances in social media, virtual reality, Siri, and Alexa change the way we collectively think about the world and our relationships within it? Does the emphasis in late capitalism on technological design have the power level playing fields and guide us into a post-racial society? Should technological design be working in the "best interest" of humanity? Should a post-racial society even be a goal that we should be aspiring to?

Class Materials (Required)

Benjamin, R. (2022). Viral justice: how we grow the World we want. Princeton University Press. ISBN: 9780691222882

Class Attributes

WCAS First-Year Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for First Year & Sophomore only