Gail Fowler Mohanty has been a lecturer in the department of History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences since September 2003. She has degrees in Anthropology (Historic Archeology) and American Civilization (Material Culture), and her research interests have centered on the history of American technology and in particular textile technology in relationship to hand workers and craft labor. This work has resulted in a book and several articles, one of which received the Samuel Eleazer and Rose Tartakow Levinson Prize from the Society for the History of Technology. Prior to coming to RISD, she was employed in history museums preserving marine and fire memorabilia and industrial history as both curator and director.
Courses
Fall 2023 Courses
HPSS S101-01 - TOPICS: HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, & THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
LevelUndergraduate
UnitHistory, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences
Subject History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
FormatLecture
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
HPSS S101-01
TOPICS: HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, & THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
LevelUndergraduate
UnitHistory, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences
Subject History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences
PeriodFall 2023
Credits3
FormatLecture
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: TTH | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PMInstructor(s): Gail MohantyLocation(s): College Building, Room 346Enrolled / Capacity: 20Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course draws on broad themes and problems in the History of American Technology for its content such as Technology and Material Culture, Inventing and Innovation, Technology and the Workplace, Time and Technology, and Technologies of Communication. Within each of the themes we trace past technologies through to the present and examine debates that engage historians of technology and historians in general. The overall writing elements of the course will focus on developing a research paper including choosing a topic, writing a thesis statement, pulling together sources and developing an annotated bibliography, writing an introduction and outlining the paper, writing a draft of the paper, submitting the final paper and presenting the paper to the class.
Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.
Major Requirement | BFA
Spring 2024 Courses
HPSS S101-21 - TOPICS: HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, & THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
LevelUndergraduate
UnitHistory, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences
Subject History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
FormatLecture
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
HPSS S101-21
TOPICS: HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, & THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
LevelUndergraduate
UnitHistory, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences
Subject History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences
PeriodSpring 2024
Credits3
FormatLecture
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Times: TTH | 2:50 PM - 4:20 PMInstructor(s): Gail MohantyLocation(s): Washington Place, Room 310Enrolled / Capacity: 20Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
You may register for this section if your EFS studio days are Monday/Wednesday/Friday.
This course draws on broad themes and problems in the History of American Technology for its content such as Technology and Material Culture, Inventing and Innovation, Technology and the Workplace, Time and Technology, and Technologies of Communication. Within each of the themes we trace past technologies through to the present and examine debates that engage historians of technology and historians in general. The overall writing elements of the course will focus on developing a research paper including choosing a topic, writing a thesis statement, pulling together sources and developing an annotated bibliography, writing an introduction and outlining the paper, writing a draft of the paper, submitting the final paper and presenting the paper to the class.
Transfer and upper-level students should register for one of the evening sections.
