I690 Cybernetics and Revolution: International Histories of Science, Technology and Political Change (New Doctoral Seminar, Fall 2008)
Norbert Wiener used the term cybernetics for studies of communication and control in the animal and the machine. Cybernetics brought together ideas from biology, psychology, math, computation, and engineering and looked for underlying commonalities in areas as diverse as neurology, electronics, and the study of social systems. Historical studies of cybernetics often cite the research activity that took place in the United States during 1940s and 1950s as the peak moment of this interdisciplinary field. However, these ideas also took root in other parts of the world, where they intertwined with other national histories and political ideologies.  This class will bring an international perspective to the study of cybernetics.  Different geographical, political, and cultural contexts shaped the language, content, and application of cybernetic science outside of the United States. Cybernetics also offered new ways for imagining social and political change. The class will study individuals such as Norbert Wiener, Ross Ashby, Stafford Beer, Humberto Maturana, Viktor Glushkov, and Fernando Flores, among others. Since most histories of cybernetics are set in the United States and Western Europe, special attention will be given to the evolution and application of cybernetic ideas in Latin America.

I202 Social Informatics:
Social informatics refers to an interdisciplinary body of research dedicated to studying the design, uses, and effects of information technologies. This course asks students to go beyond the "technical" aspects of IT and consider the social relations that are an integral part of designing and adopting a technology or technological system. It also challenges students to think critically about technological change and acquire a more sophisticated understanding of the political, economic, and social considerations that underlie technological development.

I400 Information Ethics:

This class will explore some of the ethical and professionalization issues that arise in the context of designing and using networked information technologies.  Using a combination of lecture, discussion, presentations, writing, and other methods, this course will examine frameworks for making ethical decisions, the process of and need for professionalization in informatics, and selected case studies in information ethics.

I625 Advanced Seminar I in Social Informatics (Social and Cultural Dimensions):

This seminar course introduces Ph.D. students to the core literature and emerging scholarship in the field of social informatics and draws from work in the history and social studies of science and technology. The seminar provides doctoral students with opportunities to examine and explore relevant influential research, literature, methods, and theoretical frameworks. I625 concentrates on the social and cultural aspects of informatics as well as qualitative research methods and prepares students for future doctoral work in social informatics.