Area+of+Study

=**__Area of Study: Society and Technology__**=

According to the Macquarie Dictionary, Technology is “the application of practical or mechanical sciences to industry or commerce, the total knowledge and skills available to any human society”. Society is “the totality of social relationships among organised groups of human beings or animals”

In the most basic sense, technology is anything we make, and society is the relationships we have with each other. Throughout history, new technologies have improved our lives. They have provided us with more efficient food production, new ways of communication, warmth, energy, transport, clothing, accommodation and security. New technologies have also created bigger and more destructive weapons, instruments of torture, and major catastrophes. As society develops new technology, it shapes itself, changing the way we relate to each other.

Think about a new technology that you have experienced in your life- interactive video games, mp3 players, HDTV, faster, cheaper and more reliable mobile phones, wireless internet.

How has that technology changed your life?

Throughout this unit, we will be studying society and technology in fiction and non-fiction texts. We will explore the hopes, fears, and fascinations people have with and for technology. Throughout the unit you will be asked to keep a learning journal about the area of study. This will help you complete your final assessment for the term, a pod cast discussing questions raised throughout the unit.