2023 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Social and Human Sciences Graduate major in Social and Human Sciences
Graduate Lecture in Science, Technology and Society S1B
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Social and Human Sciences
- Instructor(s)
- Toma Kawanishi
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 7-8 Fri (W9-327(W936))
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- SHS.S442
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2023
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 8, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course is designed to enhance the students' knowledge of the history of information technology by exposing them to literature in the field of the history of technology. As a highly regarded book, "Open Standards in the Digital Age" by Andrew L. Russell (Cambridge University Press, 2014) will be the primary focus of the course. The book provides a comprehensive examination of the evolution of communication technology, from the telegraph to the Internet, from the perspective of the history of standards such as TCP/IP.
The objectives of the course are twofold:
To deepen the students' understanding of the history of information technology.
To teach historical ways of thinking and research methodologies through examples from the history of technology.
Course description and aims
1. To acquire a comprehensive understanding of information technology from a historical perspective.
2. To develop the ability to think and investigate in a historical manner.
Keywords
History of technology, Information technology, Internet, standard
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Students are required to give a brief summary of the portion of the book they have read during each class. Each student is expected to make at least one presentation.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction | Reading introduction |
| Class 2 | Chapter 2, 3 | Reading Chapters 2 and 3 |
| Class 3 | Chapter 4 | Reading Chapter 4 |
| Class 4 | Chapter 5 | Reading Chapter 5 |
| Class 5 | Chapter 6 | Reading Chapter 6 |
| Class 6 | Chapter 7 | Reading Chapter 7 |
| Class 7 | Chapter 8, Conclusion | Reading 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)
Andrew L. Russell, Open Standards in the Digital Age (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2014)
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Chigusa Kita, An intellectual history of internet (Seidosha, 2003)
Chigusa Kita, Origins of Internet (Seidosha, 2005)
Janet Abbate. Inventing the Internet. （MIT Press. 1999)
Takehiko Hashimoto, A History of 'Manufacturing': The 《Standard Revolution》 that Changed the World (Kodansha, 2015).
Other references will be given during the lecture.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Class presentation (50%), Final report (50%)
Related courses
- SHS.S441 ： Graduate Lecture in Science, Technology and Society S1A
- SHS.S443 ： Graduate Lecture in Science, Technology and Society F1A
- SHS.S444 ： Graduate Lecture in Science, Technology and Society F1B
Prerequisites
Not required