2022 Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses
Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences16:History of Technology
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Toma Kawanishi
- Class Format
- Lecture (Livestream)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Wed
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- LAH.S416
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2022
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Traditionally, historians of technology have focused on the " state-of-the-art technologies that characterized the age" ("History of Technology B" covers this traditional approach). Recent historians, however, have been reconsidering this position. Underpinning the current development is the reflection that such historiography of technology is not indeed a history of technology in general, but of "successful technological innovations (especially science-based technology), which means a lot of factors in the historical investigation may have been excluded. In this way, modern-day historians are now casting more spotlight on "old" technologies, their maintenance and operation, and the relationship between technology and society, economy, culture, and politics than the invention, research, and development of "new" technologies. This lecture is to rethink technology in the light of such contemporary historiography of technology.
Course description and aims
1. To broaden the students' perspective on technology through the study of the recent historiography of technology.
2. To become able to think about technology in connection with world history.
Keywords
Production, Maintenance, Nationalism, Post-colonialism, Agricultural Technology, Innovation
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Basically lecture style, with discussion as appropriate.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Past and Present in the Historiography of Technology: How Do We measure "Significance"? | Reading Assignment: Introduction, Chapter 1 |
| Class 2 | Time in Technology: To What Extent is the Developmental Stage Model Relevant? | Reading Assignment: Chapter 2 |
| Class 3 | Rethinking "Production": Domestic Production and Food Production, Materiality in the "Information Age" | Reading Assignment: Chapter 3 |
| Class 4 | The Life of Technology: Maintenance, Repair, and Decline | Reading Assignment: Chapter 4 |
| Class 5 | Techno-nationalism and Techno-globalism: "Who" Creates Technology and "For Whom" It Is Used | Reading Assignment: Chapter 5 |
| Class 6 | The technology of killing: What makes mass killing possible? | Reading Assignment: Chapter 6-7 |
| Class 7 | Rethinking Innovation: Is Today an Innovative Age? | Reading Assignment: Chapter 8 and Conclusion |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
David Edgerton, The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History Since 1900 (Oxford University Press, 2007)
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Further reference will be given in the course of lecture. All materials used in class can be found on T2SCHOLA.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Evaluation will be made on the basis of short reports (summary of the lecture in each session, 50%) and a final report (50%).
Related courses
- LAH.T103 ： History of Technology A
- LAH.T203 ： History of Technology B
- LAH.T303 ： History of Technology C
Prerequisites
No prerequisites.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
toma.kawanishi[at]gmail.com
Other
No classes will be given on April 13 (Wed).
Seven total classes will be held for this course: April 20 (Wed), April 27 (Wed), May 11 (Wed), May 18 (Wed), May 25 (Wed), June 1 (Wed), June 8(Wed).