ID723 DESIGN CULTURES AND THE HUMAN BODY
| Course Code: | 1250723 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 8.0 |
| Department: | Industrial Design |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Graduate |
| Course Coordinator: | |
| Offered Semester: | Fall Semesters. |
Course Objectives
Having completed the course, students will be able to
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Comprehend the ways in which human bodies are shaped today via design and technology, by biopolitical technologies in particular;
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Study how bodies interact with products and technologies within a social context;
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Apply the theoretical framework to cases of design and technology development.
Course Content
The human body in current design discourse and practices, from anthropology to user experience. Introducing theoretical frameworks for understanding the mutual shaping of design and the human body; discipline, docile bodies, performativity; bio-politics, molecular life, self-governance and enhancement; post-ANT and material semiotic perspectives on medicine, the body multiple. Readings and discussions complemented by film screening and seminars from scholars in related fields; case studies of related products.
Course Learning Outcomes
Outcomes
During the course, students will
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Read, discuss and write about key texts on two theoretical perspectives, material semiotics and biopolitics;
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Make observations of how a designed product shapes its users;
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Conduct a case study and produce a report on a design process or product that has biopolitical implications.