Exclusionary Foundations of Knowledge Production

(4 Credits)

Scientific knowledge production is fundamentally based on observation and data. Drawing on a wide range of disciplines, this course examines systematic gaps in what information is gathered about whom. What are the consequences of ignoring such gaps for human development and well-being? From medical diagnosis and treatment, seat belt design, and disaster relief, to snow removal, public toilets, and the construction of academic merit and economic performance, what is seen and how it is seen is intimately connected to maintaining structural disadvantages for women, Black people, people of color, indigenous populations, people of determination, and others. Regulatory and intellectual frameworks that aim to reduce such data gaps are also addressed.