Technik und Demokratie

What it is about

You explore the relationship between technology, society and democracy in highly technologically advanced societies. In the end you will recognize how engineers exert power through technology design and draft proposals for democratic shaping and control of innovation processes.

What you will be able to do

• Recognize technology development as a form of societal power
• Identify types of democratic control of technology
• Reflect on societal requirements for engineers
• Compare approaches to legitimisation and regulation of innovation processes
• Develop reflexive proposals for implementing democratic claims in the innovation process

What the module consists of

• LectureConveying history and current approaches to the democratisation of technologies
• Working groupsApplication of the acquired knowledge to an exemplary innovation process
• MoodleProvision of materials and assignments
• written project documentationDevelopment and documentation of the group project
• group presentationFinal presentation of the project results

Teaching method

• Lectureprovides an overview of theoretical and historical foundations
• Working groupsenable practical application of knowledge in a concrete project
• Moodlesupports the exchange of materials and tasks
• Presentationstest the ability to present results in a structured manner
• written reflectiontests individual understanding and the ability for critical reflection