his course will approach data collection as a local, situated and contextually-bound process, and ask what it means to examine large-scale social issues from a close, specific perspective. Starting from the observation that data is never collected omnisciently or neutrally, students will explore questions of power, context, and knowledge production through reading, discussion, and several practical, location-based field exercises in data collection and representation. Students will be asked to engage in collaborative problem solving and collective inquiry, and to take care to emphasize reflexivity and an awareness of their own participation in their creative processes. There will be three short assignments as part of this class, completed each week, as well as required reading and reflection. Students are also encouraged to bring current topics of interest or investigation into the class for further exploration.