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Mobility Matters: A Global History of Transport Technologies in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:07:47
Abstract
The lecture provides an overview and in-depth analysis of how new transport technologies affected the lives of individuals, shaped societies and the environment, thus influencing the course of history in different parts of the globe.
Objective
Students will be sensitized to the fact that human mobility in general and transport technologies in particular have a strong impact on political agendas, social contestations and gender relations. They will be able grasp, for example, how intricately Europe's imperial expansion was linked to steamship and railway technology and why the bicycle became a symbol of first wave feminism around 1900.
Content
Building on theoretical insights provided by the 'new mobility paradigm' (J. Urry, M. Sheller et al.) This course explores how the revolutionary mobility technologies such as the steamship, the railways, the bicycle, the automobile and the airplane have shaped the course of history in various sparts of the globe. Through case studies transcending the usual focus on Euro-America, the military and political uses of the steamship and the railways will be put under scrutiny, as will be their significance for the emergence of mass tourism. The chequered career of the bicycle from an epitome of wealth and mastery of technology in the 1880s to the poor man's despised "steel horse" a mere half-century later will be examined just as the multifaceted social, political contestations crystallizing around the automobile and the airplane.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- DS , MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Mobility Matters: A Global History of Transport Technologies in the 19th and 20th Centuries | No time listed | 2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Science in Perspective (In “Science in Perspective”-courses students learn to reflect on ETH’s STEM subjects from the perspective of humanities, political and social sciences. Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "Science in Perspective" courses.)
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Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (SiP courses are recommended for bachelor students after their first-year examination and for all master- or doctoral students. All SiP courses are listed in Type A. Courses listed under Type B are only recommendations for enrollment for specific departments.)
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Type B: Reflection About Subject-Specific Methods and Contents (Subject-specific courses. Particularly relevant for students interested in those subjects. All these courses are also listed under the category “Typ A”, and every student can enroll in these courses.)
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