Overview

This unit explores the social implications of contemporary biotechnologies and communication technologies on the health, well-being and identity construction of children and adults. It engages with key debates in science and technology studies, and the sociology of health and illness. It requires students to consider questions such as: Are long hours spent playing computer games harming our children? Why are companies starting to pay their female employees to freeze their ova and will women embrace this latest means of delaying motherhood? To what extent can robots and/or computer screens replace human companions for older adults?

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
29-July-2024
27-October-2024
Last self-enrolment date
11-August-2024
Census date
31-August-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-September-2024
Results released date
03-December-2024

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Analyse competing sources of evidence about the influence of technologies across the human life course
  • Identify and critically engage with social theory about how technologies influence health outcomes, well-being and identity construction
  • Distinguish a sociological approach to biotechnologies and communication technologies from technologically determinist approaches
  • Communicate sociological ideas, principles and knowledge in oral and written form

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Lecture
2.00 12 weeks 24
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Tutorial
1.00 12 weeks 12
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Readings
2.00 10 weeks 20
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Individual Study
7.83 12 weeks 94
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
ExaminationIndividual 50% 2,3,4 
Online QuizIndividual 10% 2,3 
PresentationGroup 40% 1,4 

Content

  • Identities, health and technologies: key concepts and thinkers
  • Children and young people’s screen time
  • Health, parent/child relationships and technologies
  • Fertility, reproductive bodies and health
  • Fitness, ‘life-logging’ and the quantified self
  • Anti-ageing supplements and expectations of ‘ageing well’
  • Online love, Viagra and ageing sexualities
  • Technologies, well-being and ageing ‘in place’
  • Dementia, care and communication technologies

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.