On The Phone: Telephone and Mobile Technology

(4 Credits)

This course examines the convergence of different technologies and cultures in telephony since the 19th century. It surveys the development of the telephone, from its roots in telegraphy to radio and portable phones to mobile computing. It traces the history of 'telephonic principles' like interaction and universality; telephony in various social contexts; national and transnational telephone cultures; genres of text messaging; the relationship of communication technology to public, private, and virtual space; and appropriation of the medium for art and activism.