Cyborg Studies
| Module title | Cyborg Studies |
|---|---|
| Module code | SOC2096 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Astrid Schrader (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
How should we think about the relationship between humans and increasingly powerful technology? What’s so special about humans anyway? Using the figure of the cyborg, a hybrid of machine and organism, we will analyse and reflect upon a wide range of topics related to both technology and the place of humanity in the world. You will be encouraged to critique the principles of humanism and invited to develop them in new directions. Discussions of posthumanist theories and their ethical and political implications will be considered alongside empirical studies drawn from science and technology studies, environmental studies and the arts. The module consists of seminar-based discussions of pre-assigned readings. There are no prerequisites and it is suitable for non-specialist students in the social and natural sciences, the humanities and engineering and is highly appropriate for students following interdisciplinary pathways.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The social sciences have traditionally been 'humanist' disciplines, in as much as their empirical and theoretical focus is on human individuals, their interactions with one another, social groups and social structure. This module aims to develop a less anthropocentric or 'posthumanist' sensibility. With the figure of the cyborg, the cybernetic organism, a hybrid of human, animal and machine, as its icon, it explores the co-evolution of humans, machines, sciences and natures.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Critically assess and analyse relations between people (individuals and social groups), animals and machines
- 2. Demonstrate a clear understanding of theoretical perspectives appropriate to the analysis of these relations and exemplify with a range of contemporary and historical examples
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Demonstrate awareness and understanding of a range of philosophical, social scientific, and historical perspectives
- 4. Identify the core theoretical assumptions and premises of these disciplines
- 5. Apply theoretical and interpretive perspectives to the task of social analysis
- 6. Demonstrate appreciation of the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of different and competing social scientific, historical perspectives
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Reflect on, and examine, taken-for-granted social, cultural and ethical assumptions, beliefs and values
- 8. Analyse, evaluate, and communicate a range of explanatory and interpretive theoretical perspectives; assess evidence, marshal facts and construct arguments
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- What is human exceptionalism?
- How did we become posthuman?
- Are you a cyborg?
- What’s transhumanism?
- Cyborg politics
- Human-machine interfaces and interactions
- Cyborgs in military
- The history of cybernetics
- Notions of agency, subjectivity, and self
- New materialisms
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | Weekly 2-hour lectures/seminars or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar |
| Guided independent study | 66 | Weekly reading and working through assigned articles and book chapters |
| Guided independent study | 62 | Essay writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x reading responses (200 words each) | 800 words | 1-8 | Verbal feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 100 | 2,200 words | 1-8 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2,200 words) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as defined above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Sample reading:
Bostrom, Nick (2005a) “A History of Transhumanist Thought”, Journal of Evolution and Technology 14/1: 1-25.
Ferrando F (2013) Posthumanism, Transhumanism, Antihumanism, Metahumanism, and New Materialisms: Differences and Relations. 82:26–32
Gray, C.H., S. Mentor, and H. J. Figueroa-Sarriera (1995) ‘Cyborgology: Constructing the Knowledge of Cybernetic Organisms,’ in C. Gray et al (eds.), The Cyborg Handbook (New York: Routledge, 1995), pp. 1- 14.
Haraway, D. ([1985] 2016). "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and SocialistFeminism in the Late Twentieth Century." In Manifestly Haraway. Donna Haraway and Cary Wolfe. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Hayles, K. (1999) How we became posthuman: Virtual bodies in cybernetics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press: prologue and conclusion
Jane Bennett (2010) ‘The Agency of Assemblages and the North American Blackout’ Public
Karen Barad, “Agential Realism: Feminist Interventions in Understanding Scientific Practices,” in The Science Studies Reader, edited by Mario Biagioli, (Routledge, 1999), 1-11.
Pickering, A. (2013) The Cybernetic Brain, Blackwell Publishing.
Suchman, L. (2007) Human–Machine Reconfigurations: Plans and Situated Actions, revised edn. (New York: Cambridge University Press).
Wiener, N. (1961 [1948]) Cybernetics, or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 09/03/2016 |
| Last revision date | 26/01/2022 |
