This course has been discontinued.
Last planned examination: Spring 2011
Decision to discontinue this course: No information inserted

New media in all historical periods have contributed in changing people’s perceptions and understandings of what time, space and reality can be. This is not only the case with the new media of our times – virtual reality – but also historically with such innovations as the phonetic alphabet, the telegraph, radio, moving images, etc. The different ways of treating time, space and reality in different media has resulted in various claims on being able actually to change these dimensions, or, at least, to manipulate them in terms of mobility and ease of movement, visibility and access. The virtual reality today is implicated by electronic communication, but historically this has been done by other mediating means, such as text, drama and film.
In the course a culture theoretical and social science perspective will be developed in order to analyse the technological projects of today and yesterday – projects, innovations, applications and services that claim to change time, space and reality. Focus in the analysis is on the critical analysis of the claims to change that these projects are guided by. The changes brought about partly by the media, and also by other means, will be related to theoretical scenarios of social and historical change.
Course offering missing
Course offering missing for current semester as well as for previous and coming semestersContent and learning outcomes
Course contents
Time, space and reality as fundamental anthropological and sociological categories.
Transformation of time, space, and reality.
The role of media technologies in changing processes in relation to their technologies.
Cultural perspectives on time, space, and reality.
The view of time, space, and reality in modernity and late modernity.
The chronotope.
Virtual reality.
Claims on changes in time, space, reality conglomeration.
Intended learning outcomes
The goal of the course is to give the students
- knowledge of sociological and historical theories of changing views of time, space and reality
- deeper understanding of the significance of media technology for these change processes
in order to give the students
- a sociological and cultural perspective on the interaction between time, space and reality and separate media
- critical tools and concepts to analyse the claims of change of time, space and reality which are made in connection with designing and advertising media technologies.
Course Disposition
No information inserted
Literature and preparations
Specific prerequisites
2D1347/DH1347 or 2D1601/DH1601 or equivalent.
Recommended prerequisites
At least 3 years university studies
Equipment
No information inserted
Literature
Kern: The Culture of Time and Space 1880-1918 (parts of it)
Giddens: Modernity and Self-Identity (parts of it)
Bakhtin: texter om polyfoni och kronotopen
Meyrowitz: No Sense of Place
Ekecrantz & Olsson: Det redigerade samhället
And articles.
Examination and completion
If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.
Grading scale
P, F
Examination
- INL1 - Assignments, 1,5 hp, betygsskala: P, F
- LAB1 - Laboratory Work, 1,5 hp, betygsskala: P, F
- TEN1 - Examination, 4,5 hp, betygsskala: P, F
Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.
The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.
In this course all the regulations of the code of honor at the School of Computer science and Communication apply, see: http://www.kth.se/csc/student/hederskodex/1.17237?l=en_UK.
Opportunity to complete the requirements via supplementary examination
No information inserted
Opportunity to raise an approved grade via renewed examination
No information inserted
Examiner
Ethical approach
- All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
- In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
- In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.
Further information
Course web
No information inserted
Offered by
Main field of study
No information inserted
Education cycle
Second cycle
Add-on studies
Speak to the course co-ordinator.
Contact
Per-Anders Forstorp, tel: 790 6680, e-post: forstorp@nada.kth.se