The seminar will introduce participants to the emerging field of Critical Algorithm Studies. Biweekly discussions of assigned reading material will focus on interdependencies between society, culture and algorithms, and critical reflections of their ethics and politics.
Preliminary list of topics:
- What constitutes an algorithm?
- Embedded values and biases of algorithms.
- Erasure of human judgement through rationalization and automation.
- What do users understand about algorithms?
- Implications of Algorithmic Culture.
- People design and maintain as well as work, play and live algorithms in specific ways.
- Methods and approaches for studying algorithmic systems.
During each session one or more participants should present the topic of the week. They should have read all the papers, tell the others about their content and conclusions and prepare a list of discussion points. Sessions will be held approximately every two weeks. After several sessions, participants should decide on a topic for their final assignment. The submission can be written either alone or in a group and can be either a short article or in a different format. Grading will be based on the presentation of the papers, participation in the discussion and the final assignment.
The material for this course will include a subset of the reading list of the Social Media Collective. Also, there is a blog containing up-to-date information about the course.
