Big Data, Culture And Society

Module description

The enormous and rapid growth in the availability of digital data – the so-called ‘data deluge’ – has led to a great deal of research and discussion about the various means of extracting information from such data. As a result, the concept of ‘big data’ is now widely discussed, both in academic circles – across disciplines – and in a variety of non-academic contexts in business, industry and government. The term ‘big data’ may be considered to refer to a group of investigative paradigms that involve the application of computational methods for analysing or visualising large quantities of data, with the aim of thereby gaining insights or supporting decisions. What constitutes ‘big’ depends very much on the context, and in many cases it is a matter of complexity or heterogeneity as well as sheer size.

This module will examine some of the principles, practices, methods and technologies used in analysing large quantities of data, but will also take a critical approach to the very concept of ‘big data’, its use and its applications, with a particular focus on cultural and societal contexts. What issues are involved in interpreting the results of big data – which will include numerical or other very precise statements – to answer subjective questions? What theoretical concepts and models do we need to deal with cultural artefacts at this large scale? How do we balance the vast scale of the data available with the use of information and the production of meaningful results? What does the data deluge mean for the construction of memory, and what does it mean to ‘us’ to have so much information? These are just some of the questions that one might ask as part of a critical examination of the still-evolving concept of big data. In developing the module, one will need to monitor closely the discourse that will continue to develop around this concept, beyond the world of computing, over the coming years.

Assessment details

Coursework

1 x 2,000 word essay (40%) and 1 x 3,000 word essay (60%)

Teaching pattern

The module will be taught via ten one-hour lectures and ten one-hour seminars.

Module description disclaimer

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