Try to stop using any kind of electrical device for one day and note what happens. Starting from observations on our current lifestyle and our dependency on electrical power, this seminar will explore the cultural contributions of electricity and historical developments of its impact. Since 1880, the electrification of the Western world revolutionized social habits and everyday life, and accelerated the process of modernization. Electricity transformed industrial production, introduced the era of telecommunications, and played a central role in the rise of avant-gardist theories. We will discuss the cultural hopes and fears around the “improvement” promised by electricity, and the ways in which this source of power became pivotal in modern societies. Every week we will analyze different aspects of the “electric culture” across a wide range of literature.
View complete course outline: COMS490A2010 [.pdf]