Human Contexts and Ethics Courses

CYPLAN 101

Class #: 32303(link is external)

This course (1) provides a basic intro to census and economic data collection, processing, and analysis; (2) surveys forecasting and modeling techniques in planning; (3) demonstrates the uses of real-time urban data and analytics; and (4) provides a socio-economic-political context for the smart cities movement, focusing on data ethics and governance. 

*This course is approved for the Human Contexts & Ethics requirement for students completing certain approved Domain Emphases only. Please see the Domain Emphasis page for more information.

Karen Chapple

ESPM C167/ PBHLTH C160

Class #: 27274(link is external)

Class #: 29594(link is external)

The health effects of environmental alterations caused by development programs and other human activities in both developing and developed areas. Case studies will contextualize methodological information and incorporate a global perspective on environmentally mediated diseases in diverse populations. Topics include water management; population change; toxics; energy development; air pollution; climate change; chemical use, etc. 

*This course is approved for the Human Contexts & Ethics requirement for students completing certain approved Domain Emphases only. Please see the Domain Emphasis page for more information.

Rachel A. Morello-Frosch

Simona A Yi-balan

HISTORY C184D / STS C104

Class #: 32670(link is external)
(link is external)

This course teaches you to use the tools of applied historical thinking and Science, Technology, and Society (STS) to recognize, analyze, and shape the human contexts and ethics of data. It addresses key topics such as doing ethical data science amid shifting definitions of human subjects, consent, and privacy; the changing relationship between data, democracy, and law; the role of data analytics in how corporations and governments provide public goods such as health and security to citizens; sensors, machine learning and artificial intelligence and changing landscapes of labor, industry, and city life.  It prepares you to engage as a knowledgeable and responsible citizen and professional in the varied arenas of our datafied world.

PHILOS 121

Class #: 31934(link is external)

This course explores, from a philosophical perspective, ethical questions arising from collecting, drawing inferences from, and acting on data, especially when these activities are automated and on a large scale. Topics include: bias, fairness, discrimination, interpretability, privacy, paternalism, freedom of speech, and democracy.