Data practices infuse every aspect of contemporary life, from commerce and communication, to what it means to be a person in the digital age. This course will introduce students to the social and cultural forces shaping the construction and uses of data and algorithms. We will question how the datafication of society relates to broader issues of power, social justice, and inequality, and analyze ethical, emancipatory, and empowering uses of the technology. Students will leave the course with a better appreciation of the social implications associated with the use of data and algorithms.
The course welcomes students with a variety of backgrounds including information science and business students, interested in learning about social, political, and ethical implications of their field, as well as students with humanistic, and communications backgrounds interested in learning about the technology behind digitally mediated experience.
COMM 250: Data and Society
Class Program