JINS 352 - Why You’re Wrong (template course)

An examination of the way attitude, opinions, and politics change in the face of data, and how arguments are won and lost, using a particular discipline or area of expertise (depending on instructor). A given instantiation of the course looks at several controversies in detail, and explore the nature of truth, the history of discussion on the topic, and how arguments might be sustained or refuted using the evidence and canons of proof from (for example) history, statistics, science, ethics, etc. A term paper focuses on an area of interest to the student and the ramifications of existing and potential data upon the area. Possible topics: Changing the World Through Data - The explosion of science can be linked to the explosion of statistics. Some of the best and worst policies of the 20th Century can be linked to claims made by statistical analysis. What makes statistics convincing (or not)? Why are they both revered and reviled by policy-makers and laypeople alike? How does the internet’s quick spread of information help and hinder the believability of statistics? How can someone tell when statistics are useful and when they are not? What ethical dilemmas arise from faith in statistics? How do people make decisions given contradictory information?

Prerequisite: Junior status.
Credits: 3
When Offered: online in the summer.
NOTE:
* This course fulfills the Junior Interdisciplinary Writing-Enhanced Seminar Interconnecting Perspective of the Liberal Studies Program.
** This course counts toward the 63-credit Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) graduation requirement.
*** This is a writing-enhanced course.