Data Science and Social Justice

This first-year seminar explores the impact of data and algorithms on equity and justice. Data analysis and visualization can help identify inequities and advocate for social justice. At the same time, data-based algorithms can institutionalize and rationalize unfair practices and injustices. In this course, we will engage with fundamental questions about the role of data to work towards social justice. We will gain introductory data science skills, discuss algorithmic bias, equity, and fairness, and work with real-world data sets and algorithms to examine inequities in health, policing, prisons, and welfare. Everybody is welcome - no prerequisites are needed.