HISTORY 406: HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY FALL 2007

Prof. Robert Friedel

Department of History

Taliaferro Hall 2128

OFFICE HOURS: 1:00 – 2:00 Mon. & Wed., and by appointment

This course focuses on the question: "How does technology change in history?" While this issue could be framed using a number of different perspectives, we shall focus on one particular point of view--the development of technology in "the West" since the Middle Ages. By the West, we are referring to Europe and the areas settled by Europeans after the 15th century, particularly North America. It must be noted that this limits the geographical reach of this course severely, and leaves out many interesting and important issues that might be addressed concerning technological developments elsewhere in the world. Likewise, by choosing to concentrate on only the last 1000 years, we leave behind fascinating developments and questions that take us all the way back to the emergence of our species--which, as "Homo Sapiens," is arguably defined by the creation of technology itself. But it will be seen that we have a very large and complex subject and the focus that we have will give us much to work with. We will, from time to time, glimpse at non-Western experiences to broaden our perspective on the subject.

Alert students will notice another unusual feature of this course: the primary text is a book written by the instructor. Some other readings are used to broaden our approach, and student assignments are designed to take students outside of the confines of the basic text. I will admit, however, that the text, A Culture of Improvement; Technology and the Western Millennium, provides the central organizing principle of the course as well as the core statement of themes and issues (actually, this is a little misleading—the text was written to reflect the organization and concerns of the course, which has been offered for more than twenty years). It needs to be emphasized that A Culture of Improvement is meant only as a beginning for outlining and discussing the core issues of the history of technology. Students will need to read, probe, criticize, and extend from this to successfully grapple with the topic.

Your full engagement with the course material is key to learning.  To organize this better, and to provide better avenues for your own input into the course, the following assignments have been designed.  Students enrolled in this course agree to carry out the responsibilities indicated by these assignments, for the overall success of the course, as well as their personal achievement, depend on their conscientious and timely completion.

• Twice in the semester (once before the mid-term, and once after) each student will assist in leading the class discussion and will prepare special materials in advance. First assignments have been posted. To assist in organizing your group (particularly for preparing discussion questions), a class email roster has been posted. Second assignments have now been posted.

  This will consist of:

1. One page (2 to 3 paragraphs) recounting the key elements of that day's text reading
2. A critical discussion of the key sources used in that reading.  This should include suggestions for further or better reading on at least two different topics covered in the reading.
3. Three discussion questions to be used in guiding class discussion of the reading.  These should be questions that lead us beyond the reading, not just questions about the reading.

The discussion questions must be distributed to the class at the end of the preceding class meeting; the other materials are to be submitted to the instructor by email [friedel@umd.edu] no later than 9:00 AM on the day of the class.

• For two classes other than those for which special preparation is made (again once before the mid-term and once after), each student should find an appropriate illustration that goes beyond those available in the text.  The student should be prepared to explain the relevance and usefulness of the illustration, document its source, and be ready to show it at the relevant class.  The illustration should be submitted to the instructor by email 24 hours before class.
• Book review: Each student will write an essay, 1,000 to 1,500 words long, that critically examines a book that deals with a topic covered in the course text and lectures [before 1850].  Some possible works may be found in the endnotes for the text, but other works will be considered.  Each essay must be accompanied (photocopied or printed from downloaded file) by one scholarly published review of the book, and the essay should engage this review in its discussion.  Students will submit their proposed title for review to the instructor for approval no later than 2 weeks before the assignment due date.
• Original Source: Each student will write an essay, 1,500 to 2,000 words long, that analyzes an original document, artifact, or site related to course themes and discussion from 1800 to 1980.  Each essay must document the significance of the subject (using standard research sources – articles, books, and the like; use of internet sources not available in other forms is strongly discouraged) and discuss how the source enlarges our understanding of technology and technological change.  Standard questions to be asked of any useful source include the basic: who? when? where?  Of course, how? and why? are typically critical to deeper analysis.

All writing must be done with appropriate respect for formal English grammar and spelling. PRROFREED! PROOFFREID! PROOFREAD!

Sources should be cited using a standard format – a good guide is that format used in the course text. Note that this means citations should be in the form of complete footnotes or endnotes, not as "embedded" citations.

Grades will be calculated on the following percentages:

1) Class Leading.................................................................... 10% x 2 20%

2) Supplemental Illustrations.................................................. 5% x2 10%

3) Book review...................................................................... ................................... 15%

4) Original source analysis......................................................................................... 15%

5) Mid-term exam...................................................................................................... 10%

6) Final exam............................................................................................................. 20%

7) Class participation.................................................................................................. 10%

TOTAL...................................................................................................................... 100%

BOOKS: All students must purchase the following:

• David Edgerton, The Shock of the Old (Oxford Univ. Press) [in schedule as SO]

• Robert Friedel, A Culture of Improvement (MIT Press) [in schedule as CI]

• Arnold Pacey, Technology in World Civilization (MIT Press) [in schedule as TWC]

August 29	INTRODUCTION	Readings- by chapter #
Sept. 3	[LABOR DAY – no class]
Sept. 5	Themes and Models	CI-1; SO-Introduction; TWC-1
Sept. 10	Medieval Agriculture	CI-2; TWC-2
Sept. 12	The Emergence of Mechanisms	CI-3
Sept. 17	Building and Innovation	CI-4
Sept. 19	Making Things - I	TWC-3; CI-5
Sept. 24	Openings of Modernity	CI-6
Sept. 26	Literacy and Mechanism	CI-7; TWC-4
Oct. 1	Making a New World	CI-8; TWC-5
Oct. 3	Scientific Revolutions	CI-9
Oct. 8	Engineering and Improving	CI-10
Oct. 10	Steam	CI-11; TWC-6
Oct. 15	Textiles	CI-12
Oct. 17	Spreading Knowledge	CI-13; TWC-7
Oct. 22	MID-TERM
Oct. 24	Novel Powers	CI-14
Oct. 28	Transportation	CI-15; TWC-8
Oct. 31	Communications	CI-16 BOOK REVIEW DUE
Nov. 5	Making Things - II	CI-17; TWC-9
Nov. 7	New Images	CI-18
Nov. 12	Making War	CI-19
Nov. 14	Technical Education	CI-20
Nov. 19	Dynamics	CI-21; TWC-10
Nov. 21	Agriculture and Medicine	CI-22; TWC-11
Nov. 26	Building Big	CI-23; SO-1 & 2
Nov. 28	Improvement Corrupted	CI-24; SO-3 & 4
Dec. 3	Perspectives on the 20^th Century	SO 5 & 6 SOURCE STUDY DUE
Dec. 5	Networking	CI-25; SO-7 & 8
Dec. 10	Improvement's End	CI-26

FINAL EXAM: To be announced