As humans rely more and more on electronic devices to support their everyday activities, there are ever present warnings about the impacts such reliance has on human autonomy ranging from who owns and controls information networks, the inequitable impact of technology consumption on peoples and places, varying accessibility of technology around the globe, and the promises and limitations of technology in improving human health. By engaging in technology as a lens, this sequence of weekend micro-courses encourages students to examine technology as a system disproportionately impacting humanity by enabling and constraining human rights of groups of people around the globe. With a multi-disciplinary focus, the course invites researchers and practitioners from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and relevant fields more broadly.
 
In this four-part weekend micro-course (spanning four semesters), we will examine the power of technology on humanity and its implications on social justice in four areas: governance, environment, education, and health.
 
In Fall 2022, the focus will be on humanity’s use of technology and the disparate impacts on and benefits to the environment and varying groups of people. This will include discussion around the material, environmental, and health costs of extracting materials necessary to technological development and production as well as the waste created by the consumption habits initiated by global reliance on technology. It will also include a discussion of technology’s role in advancing sustainability.