Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Contemporary Culture, Tech and Innovation
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Email.
Introduction
The course Contemporary Culture, Technology and Innovation aims to raise students’ awareness of the influence that the development and evolution of various technologies have on cultural change, with particular attention to the positive and negative impact they may have on contemporary society.
Pre-course requirements
No.
Objectives
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To analyse the synergistic and bidirectional relationship between social change, technological innovation, and contemporary culture.
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To recognise the presence of the main techno-scientific debates and the most relevant figures in this field within contemporary culture.
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To perceive the aesthetic and artistic dimension of techno-scientific culture.
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To acquire a humanistic perspective in the analysis of controversies arising from techno-scientific issues in contemporary society.
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To critically evaluate the reliability of information sources and to verify data rigorously.
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To communicate scientific findings clearly and accessibly to non-specialist audiences.
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To develop oral communication skills.
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To promote collaborative work and the integration of diverse approaches and points of view.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - Recognise contemporary social and media realities, contextualise historical events, and identify newsworthy issues at local, national and international levels.
- CN02 - Identify the various stakeholders in contemporary journalism, their roles and the operational dynamics of a digital and globalised environment.
- CN04 - Explain contemporary legal and political institutions and macroeconomic indicators in their current context.
- CN06 - Recognise the principal artificial intelligence tools with applications in journalism.
- HB01 - Interpret relevant data obtained from a variety of sources.
- HB05 - Distinguish between information, opinion and manipulation, applying verification and source-checking techniques to debunk misinformation and identify content generated by artificial intelligence.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students will be able to:
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To acquire essential knowledge of economics, geopolitics, law and politics in order to understand the major issues facing the world today.
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To develop a comprehensive understanding of contemporary societies by learning about key national and international institutions, the influence of nations on one another, and global centres of power and counterpower.
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To keep up to date with innovation and new technologies in order to identify trends.
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To develop a critical and independent mindset to analyse contemporary society.
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To understand human beings through philosophical thought, the different ways of organising society on the basis of moral principles, and their own worldview.
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To acquire a basic understanding of journalistic organisations, their structures, the economic context, and the legal and ethical frameworks within which news organisations are established and develop.
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To develop a comprehensive understanding of contemporary societies, recognising the variability of human behaviour across different contexts and the influence and interaction of different human groups.
Syllabus
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Introduction to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
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Science, technology, society, and contemporary culture: conceptual clarification.
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What do we understand by innovation and progress? Positive and negative impacts of technological advances on society.
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Contemporary techno-scientific debates: ethics and responsibility.
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Scientific figures and references in popular culture.
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The presence of techno-scientific debates in film, television, books, video games, and other media.
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How to communicate science, technology, and innovation: practices in science communication.
Bibliography and resources
http://https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/technology-and-culture
Floridi, L. (2023). The ethics of artificial intelligence: Principles, challenges, and opportunities. Oxford University Press
Couldry, N. & Mejias, U. A. (2019). The Costs of Connection: How Data Are Colonizing Human Life and Appropriating It for Capitalism. Stanford University Press
Pinker, S. (2018). Enlightenment now: The case for reason, science, humanism, and progress. Penguin Books
Werthner, H., Ghezzi, C., Kramer, J., Nida-Rümelin, J., Nuseibeh, B., Prem, E., & Stanger, A. (Eds.). (2024). Introduction to Digital Humanism: A textbook. Springer Nature