Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-11 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).
Overview
- Swedish nameTeknikevolution och miljö
- CodeENM015
- Credits7.5 Credits
- OwnerMPTSE
- Education cycleSecond-cycle
- Main field of studyEnergy and Environmental Systems and Technology, Industrial Engineering and Management
- ThemeMTS 7.5 c
- DepartmentTECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS
- GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail
Course round 1
- Teaching language English
- Application code 28120
- Maximum participants150
- Block schedule
- Open for exchange studentsYes
Credit distribution
Module | Sp1 | Sp2 | Sp3 | Sp4 | Summer | Not Sp | Examination dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0105 Written and oral assignments 7.5 c Grading: TH | 7.5 c |
In programmes
- MPISC - INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, MSC PROGR, Year 2 (elective)
- MPMAR - MARITIME MANAGEMENT, MSC PROGR, Year 2 (elective)
- MPPDE - PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, MSC PROGR, Year 2 (elective)
- MPSES - SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS, MSC PROGR, Year 1 (elective)
- MPSES - SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS, MSC PROGR, Year 2 (elective)
- MPTSE - INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, MSC PROGR, Year 1 (compulsory)
- MTS - Humans, Technology, Society, Year 1
Examiner
Björn Sandén- Full Professor, Environmental Systems Analysis, Technology Management and Economics
Eligibility
General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.
Specific entry requirements
English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.
Course specific prerequisites
Basic knowledge in environmental science or environmental engineering.Aim
The course aims at putting technology into context. It aims at making the student aware of the interdependence between technical change, societal development, and the natural environment, in order to be able to take part in knowledgeable discussions on how technical change may help or hinder our ability to deal with environmental problems and resource limitations in the coming decades. The course provides knowledge of historical developments and current trends and introduces the student to different theoretical frameworks that can be used to analyse change.Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)
... describe the role of technology in society and society's relation to nature in a historical context ... describe the implications of technical change for sustainable development ... describe and explain drivers and barriers in industry and society for introducing new technology and the role of politics in this process ... describe some basic theories and models of technical change and demonstrate an accurate use of concepts from the literature ... critically examine environmental policy and technology assessments ... combine knowledge of historical patterns, theoretical models and physical constraints with technological imagination to formulate plausible scenarios of change towards sustainability or its opposite.Content
The first part of the course puts the current industrial society into a historical context. A 10 000 year history of the relationships between Technology, Society and Nature is briefly explored and the evolution of the industrial society is studied in more detail. In the second part, different theoretical frameworks that can be used to understand the process of technical change are discussed, including economics of innovation and historical and social studies of technology. The third part deals with how an understanding of technical change can be used when thinking about the future, assessing novel technologies or addressing grand challenges, such as climate change, with corporate strategy or governmental policy.Organisation
The course is organised as a series of lectures and seminars. The lectures present selected parts of the literature and complement the literature with additional material. At the seminars, some topics are discussed in greater detail. Some of the seminars are compulsory. Written assignments are given during the course.Literature
Grübler, Arnulf, Technology and global change, Cambridge University Press Ponting, Clive, A new green history of the world, Penguin Books Collection of articlesExamination including compulsory elements
The major part of the examination is a take-home exam (75%). Three web based tests and a voluntary assignment make up a smaller part of the examination (25%). In addition, there are three compulsory seminars and three compulsory hand-ins.
The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.