RTF 309 Communication Technology & Society

Unique No. see course schedule

Faculty: Caraway, B

Class Time: MWF 300P - 400P

Room: CMA 2.320

Writing Comp: N

Comm/Cult Req: N

Closing Limit: 120

Cross-Listed COMM 309

PREREQUISITES

RTF 305 for all RTF majors. For all other students, none.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

This course does not require consent. Registration is open via the online registration system to RTF majors and to all UT students.

FIRST CLASS DAY POLICY

Students must attend the first class day.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course addresses the interaction between communication technologies and different facets of society. We examine the historical development of a broad range of communication technologies, noting the economic, political, social, and institutional factors in each technology's development. Additionally, we explore recurring themes in technological innovation, such as government regulation, or the contributions of amateurs in technology research.

Specifically, this course will:

Study the emergence of communication technologies chronologically, from the stone tablet to the telegraph to the Internet.

Provide a historical context for the development of particular technologies and accompanying institutions, such as radio and RCA, or the telephone and AT&T.

Critically evaluate the political and economic implications of particular technological trends.

Create linkages between particular communication technologies and forms of social and economic organizations. Questions to be answered include:

What kinds of political power structures are supported by certain communication technologies?

How are particular market structures (monopolies, etc) related to the production and use of certain communication infrastructures?

In what way have regulatory structures influenced the development and diffusion of communication technologies?