<p>Seminar, three hours. Examination of social, political, and economic forces that shaped routine collection of data through exploration of historical development and contemporary applications of routine data collection. Critical analysis of impact of data collection on individuals and communities. Offers unique and timely exploration of data collection, combining historical analysis and sociological theory. By tracing history of data practices and critically examining their societal implications, development of understanding of complex relationship between data, power, and society. Interdisciplinary study adopts human-centered approach, exploring how data reflects and reinforces social structures. Development of skills to critically analyze data, identify biases, and evaluate social impact of data collection. P/NP or letter grading.</p>

Honors Collegium

College of Letters and Science

HNRS 161 - Data as Processes of Reification: Promises and Perils

Data as Processes of Reification: Promises and Perils

Develop discussion skills by learning to contribute to substantive, high-level discussions of the class topics 

Understand historically how human actions get reified into data (broadly construed)

Develop critical thinking skills by carefully reading and analyzing texts (some difficult to read)

View current data sets and collections of artifacts as processes of these human actions, not as neutral objects

General Catalog

Data as Processes of Reification: Promises and Perils

HNRS 161

5 units