This course investigates the impact of technological advances on contemporary understandings (and lived experiences) of identity and the body, with a focus on biomedicine. It also examines the biopolitics of technological interventions into the human body. It understands ‘technoculture' in a broad sense to encompass the discourses, practices, representations and subjectivities (identities) enabled by the contemporary technological landscape and it examines the body as a product of these various forces.
It will investigate three major areas where technology and the human body interact:
- The biotechnical fragmentation of the human body (including organ and tissue donation and sale, IVF and related conceptive technologies).
- Body modification (cosmetic surgery, gender realignment and related surgeries).
- Psychopharmacology (SSRI anti-depressants and dance party drugs).
Linking these case studies are the following themes:
- how advances in medical technologies destabilise distinctions between categories such as the human and the machine, nature and culture, and life and death.
- how technology enables the production of new subjectivities and relationships.
- how technology is implicated in both reproducing and destabilising dominant models of sex, gender, race and identity.
- how dominant understandings of gender and sexual difference influence the development and use of technology.
- how representations of technologised bodies produce both desire and horror.
Indicative Assessment
6,000 words of written assessment (2 reflective papers of 500 words,
1 research essay of 5000 words) worth 90%. Seminar/online participation worth 10%.The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
24 hours of lectures/seminars.Requisite and Incompatibility
Specialisations
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $2604 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $4146 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
