A History of Technology Course for Researchers of Work, Technology, and Organizations
Organized by Virginia Leavell, Cambridge Judge School of Business and Ruthanne Huising, ESSEC Business School
Organized by Virginia Leavell, Cambridge Judge School of Business and Ruthanne Huising, ESSEC Business School
This initiative aims to provide a historical perspective on technology and to broaden consideration of issues, for example, of power, ideology, equality, the natural environment, and political systems. Such courses and conversations are less easy to come by in business schools,so we have curated a seven session on-line course to spark such conversations. Each session revolves around a book that will form the basis of the discussion. Participants will be assigned responsibility for providing a short analysis of the book to spark discussion. Where possible, the author of the book or experts on the topic will join the session.
Syllabus
All sessions will be held at 16 to 18 CET on zoom
September 26th: Historical Research for Organizational and Management Scholars, an intro
Book: Nelson, A. J. (2015). The sound of innovation: Stanford and the computer music revolution. MIT Press.
The book, archival material, and samples of the music can be found here - https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~aj/ - courtesy of the author.
Guest: Andrew Nelson
October 24th : Labor and Technologies
Book: Pelto, P. J. (1973). The snowmobile revolution: technology and social change in the Arctic. Waveland Press.(See Internet Archive)
Guest: Stephen R. Barley
November 21st: The Social Construction of Technologies
Book: Bijker, W. E. (1997). Of bicycles, bakelites, and bulbs: Toward a theory of sociotechnical change. MIT press.
Guest: Wiebe Bijker
January 30th: History of Computing
Book: McCray, P. (2025). README. MIT Press.
Guest: W. Patrick McCray
February 27th: Technology and Gender
Book: Cowan, R. S. (1983) More work for mother: The ironies of household technology from the open hearth to the microwave. Basic Books.
Guest: Ruth Schwartz Cowan
March 27th: Technologies and Social Change
Book: Medina, E. (2011). Cybernetic revolutionaries: Technology and politics in Allende's Chile. Mit Press.
Guest: Eden Medina
April 24th: The Determination of Technological Determinism
Book: Smith, M. R., & Marx, L. (Eds.). (1994). Does technology drive history?: The dilemma of technological determinism. Mit Press.
Guest: TBA
picture in banner from: https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/worlds-first-general-purpose-computer-turns-75