Week 4 

Gender & Sexuality Politics 
Kimberlé Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality, which examines how overlapping social identities create unique experiences of discrimination, has important implications for Digital Humanities. It encourages researchers to consider how digital tools and platforms may add on to existing inequalities, particularly for individuals at the intersection of multiple marginalized groups. For instance, the design of online spaces and resources may unintentionally exclude or disadvantage certain users based on factors like race, gender, or language ability. Applying intersectionality to Digital Humanities can lead to the development of more inclusive and equitable digital projects, ensuring that diverse voices and experiences are represented and that technology is used to empower rather than marginalize. 

Week 7  

Conflict, Atrocities, and What Comes After 
We as digital humanists play a critical role in documenting, analyzing, and showcasing information about conflict and its aftermath, particularly in post-genocide Rwanda. The use of digital archives, such as the Genocide Archive of Rwanda, enables innovative educational initiatives like the Education for Sustainable Peace in Rwanda program, which leverages digital testimonies to showcase empathy and critical thinking. Additionally, digital tools are instrumental in research projects like Rwandan Stories of Change, which focus on the positive narratives of resilience and growth among survivors. These efforts collectively demonstrate the potential of preserving cultural memory, promote healing, and contribute to the understanding and prevention of future atrocities. By making historical documentation and personal narratives widely accessible, arching these atrocities empowers individuals and communities to engage with difficult histories, creating dialogue and contributing to being at peace with the past. 
 

Week 8 

Politics and People in Motion 
Visual conventions in online migration data visualizations can shape public understanding and policy decisions.   This can significantly influence public perception and even policy decisions. Therefore, a critical approach to data visualization in Digital Humanities is essential, we must strive for alternative methodologies that can change these conventions and present a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding of data visualization in topics like migration or any other important policy work.  By embracing a more in depth approach, we can adopt a more critical approach to data visualization, prioritizing transparency and nuance to foster a more comprehensive understanding of any topic. 

Digital Humanities can better contribute to informed public discourse and equitable policy development. These visual conventions can perpetuate power imbalances and impact policymaking if not properly catergorized and thus shaping our perceptions and responses  
 

Week 9 

Human Rights 
Digital Humanities plays an important role in Rwanda’s post-genocide reconstruction by harnessing the power of digital archives to foster education. The Genocide Archive of Rwanda, a central resource, is utilized in initiatives like the Education for Sustainable Peace in Rwanda program, which uses digital testimonies into the national curriculum to cultivate critical thinking and historical understanding. This approach helps learners to grapple with the complex realities of colonialism and genocide, promoting empathy and tolerance and in the end, human rights. Database infrastructures impact the construction of human rights narratives. It argues that while human rights are often studied through the lens of narrative, the technical infrastructure that supports these narratives has been largely overlooked. Research on the human rights software platform, Uwazi, show how databases can both constrain and enable narrative possibilities. Specifically, it highlights how Uwazi’s difficulties with Arabic text and its glitchy data migration processes can shape the stories that are told about human rights. Digital Humanities helps to amplify marginalized voices, promote healing, and build a more inclusive historical narrative.  

FINAL GRADE:

Final Project: 30 points
Blogging: 15 points
Class Participation: 15 points
Review & Lightning Talk: 15 points
Class Facilitation: 10 points

Total 90