Introduction to Data in Social Context, Fall 2019

HIST / SOC / STS 2604

MWF 10:10-11:00, New Classroom Building 120

Instructor: Tom Ewing, etewing@vt.edu, 202 Liberal Arts & Human Sciences, T Th 10:00-12:00, by appointment

Graduate Teaching Assistant: Roan Parrish

Full syllabus linked here

Assigned books:

George Orwell, 1984

Jordan Ellenberg, How Not to be Wrong

Virginia Eubanks, Automating Inequality

Readings from DiSCIPLINE (link)

Course Requirements and Grading:

Problem sets: 4 @ 10% = 40%

Group projects: 2 @ 10%, 1 @ 20% = 40%

1) Child Labor in the early 20th Century (10%)

2) Predicting Elections: Virginia 2019 (20%)

3) Under Surveillance (10%)

Final essay: 20%

The final essay is a 2000 word essay (about four pages, single spaced) explaining why what you learned about data in social context has developed skills, perspective, and capacities needed for your future. The essay may take the form of 1) a job / graduate school application; 2) newspaper opinion piece; or 3) a letter to your parents. The essay must address all of the required readings, the problem sets, and the three projects. The first draft should be 250 words, second draft should be 750 words, and final essay should be 2000 words.

Image: Spinners, Fries, Virginia, 1911, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2018674161/