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  3. Technology and Power in World Politics

Technology and Power in World Politics (POLS90051)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2025

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Overview

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This subject will study the role of technology in world politics as a site of political struggle and contestation. It will examine traditional theoretical approaches to understanding technology in International Relations and will introduce students to the range of cutting-edge new theoretical perspectives in the field which stress the inherently political nature of technological objects and infrastructures. It will outline how these theoretical approaches can be used to analysis a diverse range of technopolitical issue across the international system, including the Revolution in Military Affairs, Cybersecurity and Internet governance, the politics of shipping containers and transnational production, and emerging debates around geoengineering and climate change, among other topics.

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Gain knowledge of the different theoretical approaches to understanding technology within social theory and International Relations
  • Have an awareness of technological determinism, path dependency and their place in analyzing global politics
  • Demonstrate how different theories approach and analyze the politics of technology in specific issue areas; how different concepts have different political implications
  • Learn how to structure and present an argument in both oral and written communication; the appropriate use of evidence to support an argument; the development of research skills.

Generic skills

Student who successfully complete this subject should:

  • Demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills
  • Demonstrate the ability to craft a logical, well-structured, and empirically support argument
  • Demonstrate the ability to critically examine theoretical concepts and how concepts are employed in concrete analysis
  • Illustrate the ability to employ theoretical concepts in empirical analysis in their own work.

Last updated: 8 November 2024