Course Overview
This course will explore the interrelationship between technology and society. The course will focus on how societal forces shape and are shaped by the meanings, development, spread, and uses of technology. Concepts, perspectives, and arguments from the social sciences and humanities will be studied and applied to analyze connections between society and technology.
Prerequisite(s)
- 50% in BCIT ENGL 1177, or 6 credits BCIT Communication at 1100-level or above, or 3 credits of a university/college first-year social science or humanities course.
Credits
3.0
Domestic fees
$764.71
International fees are typically 3.25 times the domestic tuition. Exact cost will be calculated upon completion of registration.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, the student will be able to:
- Discuss how the creation, development, meanings, uses, and consequences of technology are shaped by various societal forces including economic, political, cultural, and psychological forces (GA 9)
- Identify, explain, and apply concepts and frameworks on the study of technology and society from various humanities and social sciences disciplines (GA 9)
- Critically engage with some of the controversies, paradoxes, and ambiguities in the relationship between technology and society (GA 9, 10, 12)
- Identify how cultural or societal ways of thinking about gender, race, and social class influence the construction, meanings, and uses of technology in society. (GA 9, 12)
- Examine technological innovations and their consequences from societal perspectives. (GA 9)
- Investigate user-technology relationships and representations. (GA 9)
- Identify issues that arise when surveying technological inventions and discoveries in world history. (GA 9, 12)
- Articulate how technology functions within diverse knowledge bases, values, and systems in different societies. (GA 9, 12)
- Discuss worldviews, power relations, and contested constructions of science and technology within and between societies. (GA 9, 10, 12)
- Examine arguments regarding the transfer and spread of technology within and across societies (GA 9, 12)
- Pursue inter-disciplinary angles on technology and society in relation to students' areas of study, work, and experience. (GA 9, 12)
Effective as of Fall 2023
Related Programs
Technology and Society (LIBS 7007) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
- Indicates programs eligible for students to apply for Post-graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
School of Business + Media
- Accounting
Bachelor of Accounting Full-time/Part-time
- Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration Full-time/Part-time
- Bachelor of Creative Industries
Bachelor of Creative Industries Full-time
School of Construction and the Environment
- Civil Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering Full-time
- Mining and Mineral Resource Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering Full-time
- Residential Interiors
Diploma Part-time
School of Energy
- Electrical Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering Full-time
- Mechanical Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering Full-time
Course Offerings
Spring/Summer 2026
Below are two offerings of LIBS 7007 for the Spring/Summer 2026 term.
CRN 57664
Dates
May 18 - Aug 07 Loading
- CRN 57664
- $764.71 Domestic fees
Class meeting times
Duration
12 weeks
Instructor
Stephen Ogden
Course outline
Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.
Important information
- Important course information will be sent to you prior to your course start date. Check your myBCIT email account to access this information.
- On the start date of the course, you will have access to the course link in the Learning Hub. FINAL EXAMS: Final exams will be held IN-PERSON on the Burnaby campus in the last week of the course. If you live outside the Lower Mainland area you will be required to have an approved proctor to administer the exam. You are directly responsible for any invigilation fees and related costs. *(A)* This is NOT a SELF-PACED course. There will be specific timelines for assignments and exams. Course content, kind and quality of assignments and general standards for this online course are the same as classroom courses. You will have discussions and assignments to complete each week (although you do NOT have to be online at a particular time or day).
Confirmation
Required
To proceed with registration and add this course to the cart, please confirm:
Status
If you have any questions about this course, please contact us.
CRN 59005
Dates
May 18 - Aug 07 Loading
- CRN 59005
- $764.71 Domestic fees
Class meeting times
Duration
12 weeks
Instructor
Michael Coughlin
Course outline
Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.
Important information
- On the start date of the course, you will have access to the course link in the Learning Hub. FINAL EXAMS: Final exams will be held IN-PERSON on the Burnaby campus in the last week of the course. If you live outside the Lower Mainland area you will be required to have an approved proctor to administer the exam. You are directly responsible for any invigilation fees and related costs. *(A)* This is NOT a SELF-PACED course. There will be specific timelines for assignments and exams. Course content, kind and quality of assignments and general standards for this online course are the same as classroom courses. You will have discussions and assignments to complete each week (although you do NOT have to be online at a particular time or day).
Confirmation
Required
To proceed with registration and add this course to the cart, please confirm:
Status
If you have any questions about this course, please contact us.
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.