Data and Society

The course is intended to connect the construction of data as a highly technological practice to broad social questions of structural inequalities, evidence, and knowledge. It examines how datafication produced by digital technologies creates and structures society, and maintains certain asymmetries and power relations. Using concepts from Science and Technology Studies and Critical Data Studies, the course aims to provide tools to understand the constructed nature of data and engage the students in inquiring data, through their collection, analysis, visualization, and interpretation. The course is organized into three modules, each with a series of lectures and hands-on sessions. These are followed by the opportunity to conduct small group work. The course provides training in planning and carrying out a small data study, identifying and using methods to build a data corpus, apply exploratory analysis techniques, visualize, interpret, and present the results. This course is designed for students with or without technical backgrounds who want to gain a deeper understanding of the social and political impacts of data-driven societies today.