Human Identity and Culture

3 ECTS

Date and place: 10 May, full day online; 16-18 May on site in Umeå: starts at 13.00 on 16 May, ends 12.00 on 18 May. Please register before April 29!

Teaching methods: Lectures, group work, group discussions and seminars.

Examination: Active attendance, completion and presentation of group assignment, short paper.

Guest lecturers: Prof. Em. Charles Ess, University of Olso, and Prof. Cecilia Åsberg, Linköping University

Course literature: Link

Course coodinator(s): Helena Lindgren, Umeå University, and André Holzapfel, KTH Royal Institute of Technology

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The course Human Identity and Culture reflects on how humans shape their identities in cultural contexts, and how these processes are (potentially) transformed by employing AI in various cultural practices.

The aim is to develop an understanding of how technology influences the formation of identities and how to intervene to direct development into socio-culturally less harmful directions. This interdisciplinary course will challenge the concepts of identity and culture, and current practices of designing technology, shifting towards designing futures.

After the course the student will be able to: 

  • understand the concepts identity and culture
  • understand how technology influences the formation of identities and cultures 
  • explain and discuss how to develop strategies/methodology to intervene in the development of technology, and to redirect development into socio-culturally less harmful directions
  • have a hands-on experience with designing for futures
  • describe the relevance of key concepts for their dissertation work, identify fundamental issues and problems of relevance for their dissertation work and explain how these might be approached.

Registration

Please register to the course through the form below.