Search result: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2022
Science in Perspective  In “Science in Perspective”-courses students learn to reflect on ETH’s STEM subjects from the perspective of humanities, political and social sciences. Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "Science in Perspective" courses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Type A: Enhancement of Reflection CompetenceSiP courses are recommended for bachelor students after their first-year examination and for all master- or doctoral students. All SiP courses are listed in Type A. Courses listed under Type B are only recommendations for enrollment for specific departments. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0744-00L | Research Paper in Law and Tech  There is no need for a written application for students who have taken the pre-requisite Law & Tech or the Algorithms & Fairness course. For students who believe they have the requisite background, they should email aileen.nielsen@gess.ethz.ch with a summary of why they believe they have the relevant background knowledge as well as what topic they would be interested in to address with a research paper. | W | 1 credit | 1S | A. Stremitzer, J. Merane, A. Nielsen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | A seminar to produce original research with a law and economics foundation on topics related to the intersection of law and technology. This seminar is specifically designed to help students in the sciences conduct interdisciplinary research and writing that can speak to the social science and legal communities about important topics emerging from science and technology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This seminar assists students in developing original research on topics related to law and technology. Students will: Learn how to identify important and cutting edge topics in law and technology Develop high quality interdisciplinary research Produce a final work product preparatory to publication or a product launch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The form and content of each student project will be discussed early in the semester, and the semester will be spent developing the student research topic with feedback from instructors and from peers. Topics will vary according to student interest, but example scholarly content will also be read and discussed, addressing the following topics Regulations for trustworthy AI A review of the feasibility of enforcing deepfake legislation Competition law and proprietary data sets Privacy-preserving navigational tools | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Course is open only to students who have completed the fall Law & Tech course or with special permission of the lecturer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-06L | Introduction to Social Networks: Theory, Methods and Applications This course is intended for students interested in data analysis and with basic knowledge of inferential statistics. | W | 3 credits | 2G | C. Stadtfeld, T. Elmer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Humans are connected by various social relations. When aggregated, we speak of social networks. This course discusses how social networks are structured, how they change over time and how they affect the individuals that they connect. It integrates social theory with practical knowledge of cutting-edge statistical methods and applications from a number of scientific disciplines. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim is to enable students to contribute to social networks research and to be discriminating consumers of modern literature on social networks. Students will acquire a thorough understanding of social networks theory (1), practical skills in cutting-edge statistical methods (2) and their applications in a number of scientific fields (3). In particular, at the end of the course students will - Know the fundamental theories in social networks research (1) - Understand core concepts of social networks and their relevance in different contexts (1, 3) - Be able to describe and visualize networks data in the R environment (2) - Understand differences regarding analysis and collection of network data and other type of survey data (2) - Know state-of-the-art inferential statistical methods and how they are used in R (2) - Be familiar with the core empirical studies in social networks research (2, 3) - Know how network methods can be employed in a variety of scientific disciplines (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0586-03L | Applied Network Science: Sports Networks Number of participant limited to 20 | W | 3 credits | 2S | U. Brandes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | We study applications of network science methods, this time in the domain of sports. Topics are selected for diversity in research questions and techniques with applications such as passing networks, team rankings, and career trajectories. Student teams present results from the recent literature, possibly with replication, in a mini-conference on the day before the UEFA Champions League Final. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Network science as a paradigm is entering domains from engineering to the humantities but application is tricky. By examples from recent research on sports, sports administration, and the sociology of sports, students learn to appreciate that, and how, context matters. They will be able to assess the appropriateness of approaches for substantive research problems, and especially when and why quantitative approaches are or are not suitable. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Original research articles will be introduced in the first session. General introduction: Wäsche, Dickson, Woll & Brandes (2017). Social Network Analysis in Sport Research: An Emerging Paradigm. European Journal for Sport and Society 14(2):138-165. DOI: 10.1080/16138171.2017.1318198 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0585-38L | Data Science in Techno-Socio-Economic Systems Number of participants limited to 130. This course is thought be for students in the 5th semester or above with quantitative skills and interests in modeling and computer simulations. Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MAVT, D-MTEC, D-PHYS | W | 3 credits | 2V | D. Helbing, N. Antulov-Fantulin, V. Vasiliauskaite | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course introduces how techno-socio-economic systems in our complex society can be better understood with techniques and tools of data science. Students shall learn how the fundamentals of data science are used to give insights into the research of complexity science, computational social science, economics, finance, and others. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The goal of this course is to qualify students with knowledge on data science to better understand techno-socio-economic systems in our complex societies. This course aims to make students capable of applying the most appropriate and effective techniques of data science under different application scenarios. The course aims to engage students in exciting state-of-the-art scientific tools, methods and techniques of data science. In particular, lectures will be divided into research talks and tutorials. The course shall increase the awareness level of students of the importance of interdisciplinary research. Finally, students have the opportunity to develop their own data science skills based on a data challenge task, they have to solve, deliver and present at the end of the course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Will be provided on a separate course webpage. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides will be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Grus, Joel. "Data Science from Scratch: First Principles with Python". O'Reilly Media, 2019. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2904392 "A high-bias, low-variance introduction to machine learning for physicists" https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370157319300766 Applications to Techno-Socio-Economic Systems: "The hidden geometry of complex, network-driven contagion phenomena" (relevant for modeling pandemic spread) https://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6164/1337 "A network framework of cultural history" https://science.sciencemag.org/content/345/6196/558 "Science of science" https://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6379/eaao0185.abstract "Generalized network dismantling" https://www.pnas.org/content/116/14/6554 Further literature will be recommended in the lectures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Good programming skills and a good understanding of probability & statistics and calculus are expected. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0513-00L | Economic Sociology | W | 2 credits | 2V | T. Hinz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Econony and society are closely interconnected. The lecture presents classical and new sociological approaches to address the complex relationship between economic action and social structure. Issues of specific interest are: rational decision making, consumer behavior, social networks, state and economy, entrepreneurship and discrimination. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The lecture gives an overview on the "new eonomic sociology". Students learn to analyze economic processes from a sociological point of view, e.g. the relevance of "embeddedness" into social networks for economic exchange. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | In der Vorlesung Wirtschaftssoziologie soll das Verhältnis von Soziologie und Ökonomie theoretisch wie empirisch fruchtbar bearbeitet werden. Wir beschäftigen uns unter soziologischem Blickwinkel mit der Produktion, der Verteilung, dem Austausch und dem Verbrauch knapper Güter und Dienstleistungen. Austauschprozesse unterliegen strukturellen Rahmenbedingungen und Grenzen, sie bedürfen in vielen Situationen normativer Regelungen und einer unterstützenden institutionellen Umgebung. Eine Definition der Wirtschaftssoziologie könnte so lauten: Wirtschaftssoziologie umfasst alle Beobachtungen, Begriffe, Hypothesen, Gesetzmäßigkeiten und Erklärungsmodelle, die sich auf Zusammenhänge von ökonomischen und sozialen Sachverhalten und Prozessen beziehen. Arbeitsgebiete der Wirtschaftssoziologie sind beispielsweise die soziale Bedingtheit wirtschaftlicher Vorgänge, die Rückwirkung ökonomischer Prozesse für gesellschaftliche Strukturen, die sozialen Dimensionen und Verhaltensprämissen, Ähnlichkeiten und Unterschiede zwischen Gesellschaften bezüglich des wirtschaftlichen Geschehens und Zusammenhänge zwischen sozialem und ökonomischem Wandel. Die Vorlesung behandelt zunächst knapp die makrosoziologischen Klassiker. Die Gründerväter der Soziologie haben wirtschaftlichem Handeln eine überragende Bedeutung für die Konstitution der Gesellschaft beigemessen – ob Marx, Simmel, Weber oder Durkheim. An der Schnittstelle von Soziologie und Ökonomie sind die Mikrotheorien von herausragender Bedeutung. Die Wirtschaftssoziologie ist ein ideales Terrain für Rational Choice Soziologie. Abweichungen vom Modell des Wettbewerbsmarktes und strikter Rationalität begründen in dieser Theorierichtung besonders interessante Analysen. Die Struktursoziologie (im Extremfall: „how people don't have any choices to make“) wird durch die Konzeption sozialer Netzwerke, in denen Austauschprozesse stattfinden, berücksichtigt. Auch das interpretative Paradigma der Mikrosoziologie kann auf Fragestellungen der Wirtschaftssoziologie („the making of markets“) angewandt werden. Die Wirtschaftssoziologie versteht sich als empirisches Projekt. In der modernen Wirtschaftssoziologie finden sich eine Vielzahl von Analysen ökonomischer Institutionen, von Markt und Organisation, von Konsumverhalten, Firmennetzwerken und Schwarzmärkten. Einen Überblick zu Theorien und Anwendungsgebieten der Wirtschaftssoziologie gibt das „Handbook of Economic Sociology“ herausgegeben von Richard Swedberg und Neil Smelser (inzwischen in zweiter Auflage erschienen). Die Vorlesung beruht auf einzelnen Beiträgen, ebenso werden eigene Studien vorgestellt. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Pdf files (in German) will be available on ILIAS. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Abraham, Martin/Hinz, Thomas (2008): Arbeitsmarktsoziologie. Wiesbaden: VS-Verlag (2. Auflage). Braun, Norman/Keuschnigg, Marc/Wolbring, Tobias (2012) Wirtschaftssoziologie (2 Bände). München: Oldenbourg. Smelser, Neil/Swedberg, Richard (Hrsg.) (2005) Handbook of Economic Sociology. Princeton: UP (2. Auflage). Weitere Literatur wird zu Veranstaltungsbeginn bekannt gegeben. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Teaching in German. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 701-0712-00L | Use and Perception of Nature Among Societies Outside Europe | W | 2 credits | 2V | T. Haller Merten | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Views of what we call "nature“" in traditional societies in Africa, Asia and Southern America are presented and discussed. In such subsistence-oriented ethnic groups "nature" is often perceived as being inhabited by gods and spirits. This view is often regarded as being irrational by natural science. But what are the impacts of such religious views on the sustainable use of natural resources? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This lecture shall give an overview of worldviews of so called traditional societies in Africa, Asia and Southern America. The aim is to understand the way such societies view what we call nature or environment and their strategies to use natural resources. The lecure shall also provide a critical analysis of such processes based on concrete case studies, in which we will discuss problems of sustainable use of natrual resources and participatory processes in the governance of such resources. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Die Studierenden werden dabei mit Vorstellungen und Ideologien von Natur konfrontiert, die sich nicht mit unserer Logik physisch-chemischer und biologischer Abläufe in der "Natur" decken, und die wir somit als "irrational" empfinden. Wir werden uns mit verschiedenen Konzepten aus dem Bereich der Religions-Ethnologie beschäftigen, die sich insbesondere im Bereich Magie, Hexerei und Orakelbefragung mit der "Rationalität" solcher Umweltvorstellungen auseinandersetzen. Seit der Beschäftigung mit der Ökosystemtheorie durch Roy Rappaport erhielt diese "wilde Denken" eine neue Funktion (Rappaport 1971, 1979). Es wurde in Zusammenhang eines gesamten Ökosystems analysiert, zu dessen Erhaltung und zu dessen Fliessgleichgewicht es diene. Diese Sichtweise, obwohl heftig kritisiert, ist von Bedeutung, weil mit der ökologischen Krise man in der industrialisierte Welt Ausschau nach neuen Konzepten hält. Diese werden teilweise in den uns fremden Bildern aussereuropäischer Völker von der "heiligen Natur" gesehen, welche uns als Lehre dienen und zu nachhaltiger Ressourcennutzung führen könnte. Zudem erscheinen die Umwelt-Bilder und Weltsichten dieser Gesellschaften (heute oftmals indigene Völker genannt) auf der praktischen Ebene als gelebter Naturschutz, den es insbesondere für die Konservierung von Biodiversität zu erhalten gilt. Heilige Orte sollen nun auch für den Schutz von beispielsweise Nationalparks oder Biosphärenreservaten dienen. In diesem Zusammenhang ist ein genauer Blick von Nöten, denn Fehlanalysen sind in diesem Bereich fatal und eine unkritische Instrumentalisierung magischer Weltsichten kontraproduktiv. Wo jedoch religiöse Weltsichten der Natur eine im Sinne der Nachhaltigkeit positive Rolle spielen können, ist der Bereich der Institutionen für das Ressourcenmanagement. Dieser Begriff wird hier im Sinne des Neuen Institutionalismus verwendet: Institutionen sind demnach Regeln, Werte und Normen, die das Handeln der Individuen beeinflussen und eine gewisse Sicherheit bezüglich dem erwarteten Verhalten der anderen Individuen einer Gemeinschaft bieten und dabei die sogenannten Transaktionskosten (Informationsbeschaffung bezüglich dem Verhalten anderer Akteure, Überwachung und Sanktionierung) reduzieren (North 1990. Ostrom 1990, Ensminger 1992). Dieser aus der Ökonomie beeinflusste Ansatz weist meines Erachtens interessante Elemente bezüglich der nachhaltigen Nutzung von Ressourcen auf, was sich bei der Nutzung von Kollektivressourcen (Com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Zur Veranstaltung gibt es kein Script, aber es wird rechtzeitig ein Ordner mit der relevanten Literatur bereitgestellt. Am Thema Interessierte Studierende können sich bereits in folgenden zwei Büchern ins Thema einlesen: - Berkes, Fikret. 1999. Sacred Ecology: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Resource Managment. Philadelphia: Taylor and Francis. - Haller, Tobias. 2001. Leere Speicher, erodierte Felder und das Bier der Frauen: Umweltanpassung und Krise bei den Ouldeme und Platha in den Mandarabergen Nord-Kameruns. Studien zur Sozialanthropologie. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Becker, Dustin, C. and Elinor Ostrom,.1995. Human Ecology and Resource Sustainability: The Importance of Institutional Diversity. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst.1995. No. 26:113-33. Berkes, Fikret. 1999. Sacred Ecology: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Resource Managment. Philadelphia: Taylor and Francis. Dangwal, Parmesh. 1998. Van Gujjars at Apex of National Park Management. Indigenous Affairs No.4:24-31. Diener, Paul and Robkin, Eugene E. 1978. Ecology, Evolution, and the Search for Cultural Origins: The Question of Islamic Pig Prohibition. In: Current Anthropology 19, No.3():493-540. Diener, Paul, Nonini, Donald and Robkin, Eugene E. 1977/78. The Dialectics of the Sacred Cow: Ecological Adaptation versus Political Appropriation in the Origins of Indias Cattle Complex. In: Dialectical Anthropology (Amsterdam) 3: 221-241. Evans-Pritchard, Edward E. 1978. Hexerei, Magie und Orakel bei den Zande. Frankfurt am Main:Suhrkamp. Evans-Pritchard, Edward und Mayer Fortes. 1983. Afrikanische politische Systeme, in: Kramer, F. und Siegrist, Ch. eds. Gesellschaften ohne Staat. Frankfurt a. Main:Syndikat: 150-174. Fairhead, James und Leach, Melissa. 1996. Misreading the African Landscape. Society and ecology in a forest-savanna mosaic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Freed, Stanley A. and Freed, Ruth, S. 1981.Sacred Cows and Water Buffalo in India: The Uses of Ethnography. In. Current Anthropology 22, No.5: 483-502. Haller, Tobias. 1995.Raub der „Seelenschatten in Nord-Kamerun. Krankheit bei den Ouldeme und Platha in den Mandarabergen“. In: Keller, Frank-Beat (Hg.). Krank warum? Vorstellung der Völker, Heiler und Mediziner, Katalog zur gleichnamigen Ausstellung. Ostfildern: Cantz Verlag. pp.302-306. Haller, Tobias. 2000. Bodendegradierung und Ernährungskrise bei den Ouldeme und Platha. Umwelt- und Ernährungsprobleme bei zwei Feldbauerngruppen in den Mandarabergen Nord-Kameruns: Eine Folge der Adaptation an Monetarisierung und Wandel traditioneller institutioneller Rahmenbedingungen. In: Zeitschrift für Ethnologie 124 (1999): 335–354. Haller, Tobias. 2001. Leere Speicher, erodierte Felder und das Bier der Frauen: Umweltanpassung und Krise bei den Ouldeme und Platha in den Mandarabergen Nord-Kameruns. Studien zur Sozialanthropologie. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag. Haller, Tobias. 2002a. „Spiel gegen Risiken in der ‘Natur’“, In: Giordano et al (Hrsg.). Ordnung, Risiko und Gefährdung. Reader des Blockseminars der Schweizerischen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Die Veranstaltung beginnt in einem ersten Teil mit einer Reihe von Vorlesungen und wird in einem zweiten Teil mit Lesen und Diskutieren von Texten (Kurzvorträge von den Studierenden) fortgesetzt (nähere Erläuterungen und Programm am Anfang der Veranstaltung). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 701-0786-00L | Mediation in Environmental Planning: Theory and Case Studies | W | 2 credits | 2G | K. Siegwart | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is intended to demonstrate how environmental decisions can be optimized and conflicts better dealt by using mediation. Case studies will focus on construction of windmills for electricity purpose, landfills, sustainable city-planning in the field of former industrial area or the establishment of a birds- or a forest-management plan. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | - Develop comprehension of legal and social responses to environmental conflicts - Recognize the most important participative techniques and their ranges - Develop concepts for doing and evaluating mediation processes - Estimate the potential and limitations of cooperative environmental planning - Train communicative skills (presentation, moderation, discussion design, negotiation), especially by participating at a mediation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | To this end, we will look at the most important techniques of mediation and put them into the context of today's legislation, participation and conflict culture. The potential and limitations of the individual techniques will be discussed using current Swiss and international case studies, namely in the field of windenergy as well of landfills. Students can do conflict analyses, for instance, as part of individual and group analyses and a half-day mediation-simulation, develop technique concepts and train their own communicative and negotiation skills. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | A reader will be handed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 052-0704-00L | Sociology II | W | 2 credits | 2V | C. Schmid, I. Apostol, N. Bathla, J. E. Duyne Barenstein, A. Hertzog-Fraser | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Sociology II presents current perspectives and methods in urban studies. Part I introduces the right to the city and hybrid urban space, with a focus on neighbourhood life (Ileana Apostol); part II discusses housing as a social and cultural practice (Jennifer Duyne); part III presents postcolonial perspectives in urban studies (Nitin Bathla and Alice Hertzog-Fraser). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This lecture series seeks to enable students to better understand architecture and the production of built environment in its social context. It provides an introduction into the great variety of contemporary urbanization processes across the world. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Sociology II focuses on current perspectives of analysis in urban studies, presenting theoretical frames of reference with the help of concrete case studies. First, the right to the city perspective will be introduced in the context of the hybrid (physical and digital) condition of space, with particular focus on urbanity and the quality of life in the neighborhood (lecturer: Ileana Apostol). In the second part, the global housing challenges and housing solutions will be discussed (lecturer: Jennifer Duyne). The third part of the course will explore postcolonial perspectives in urban studies. The first two lectures of the third part will present a survey of postcolonial urban theory and discuss spatial polarisation and everyday life in the extended urban region of Delhi (lecturer: Nitin Bathla). The following two lectures of the third part will consider the role of Rhodes-Livingstone Institute, otherwise known as the Manchester school in colonial Africa and explore contemporary debates on neo-colonialism surrounding Chinese urbanisation in Africa today (lecturer: Alice Hertzog). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | No script - Information available at the following link: http://www.soziologie.arch.ethz.ch/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Various texts, in addition to the lecture will be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0024-00L | Digital Society: Ethical, Societal and Economic Challenges Number of participants is limited to 30. | W | 3 credits | 2V | D. Helbing, C. I. Hausladen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This seminar will address ethical challenges coming along with new digital technologies such as cloud computing, Big Data, artificial intelligence, cognitive computing, quantum computing, robots, drones, Internet of Things, virtual reality, blockchain technology, and more... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants shall learn to understand that any technology implies not only opportunities, but also risks. It is important to understand these well in order to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits. In some cases, it is highly non-trivial to identify and avoid undesired side effects of technologies. The seminar will sharpen the attention how to design technologies for values, also called value-sensitive design or ethically aligned design. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Will be provided on a complementary website of the course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Will be provided on a complementary website of the course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Ethically Aligned Design Version 1: Link Version 2: Link Value-Sensitive Design Link Handbook of Ethics, Values and Technological Design Link Thinking Ahead https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319150772 Towards Digital Enlightenment https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-90869-4 Künstliche Intelligenz und Maschinisierung des Menschen Link Move Fast and Break Things: How Facebook, Google, and Amazon Cornered Culture and Undermined Democracy (J Taplin) Link How Humans Judge Machines https://www.amazon.co.uk/Humans-Judge-Machines-Cesar-Hidalgo/dp/0262045524/ Further literature will be recommended in the lectures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | To earn credit points, students will have to read the relevant literature on one of the above technologies and give a presentation about the ethical implications. Both, potential problems and possible solutions shall be carefully discussed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 860-0022-00L | Complexity and Global Systems Science Number of participants limited to 50. Prerequisites: solid mathematical skills. Particularly suitable for students of D-ITET, D-MAVT and ISTP | W | 3 credits | 2S | D. Helbing, S. Mahajan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course discusses complex techno-socio-economic systems, their counter-intuitive behaviors, and how their theoretical understanding empowers us to solve some long-standing problems that are currently bothering the world. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants should learn to get an overview of the state of the art in the field, to present it in a well understandable way to an interdisciplinary scientific audience, to develop models for open problems, to analyze them, and to defend their results in response to critical questions. In essence, participants should improve their scientific skills and learn to think scientifically about complex dynamical systems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course starts with a discussion of the typical and often counter-intuitive features of complex dynamical systems such as self-organization, emergence, (sudden) phase transitions at "tipping points", multi-stability, systemic instability, deterministic chaos, and turbulence. It then discusses phenomena in networked systems such as feedback, side and cascading effects, and the problem of radical uncertainty. The course progresses by demonstrating the relevance of these properties for understanding societal and, at times, global-scale problems such as traffic jams, crowd disasters, breakdowns of cooperation, crime, conflict, social unrests, political revolutions, bubbles and crashes in financial markets, epidemic spreading, and/or "tragedies of the commons" such as environmental exploitation, overfishing, or climate change. Based on this understanding, the course points to possible ways of mitigating techno-socio-economic-environmental problems, and what data science may contribute to their solution. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | "Social Self-Organization Agent-Based Simulations and Experiments to Study Emergent Social Behavior" Helbing, Dirk ISBN 978-3-642-24004-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Philip Ball Why Society Is A Complex Matter https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783642289996 Globally networked risks and how to respond Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature12047 Global Systems Science and Policy Link Managing Complexity: Insights, Concepts, Applications https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783540752608 Further links: http://global-systems-science.org Link Link https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/global-systems-science Further literature will be recommended in the lectures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Mathematical skills can be helpful | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0745-00L | Ethics Workshop: The Impact of Digital Life on Society Number of participants limited to 40. Open to all Master level / PhD students. | W | 2 credits | 2S | E. Vayena, J. Amann, A. Blasimme, A. Ferretti, C. Landers, J. Sleigh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This workshop focuses on understanding and managing the ethical and social issues arising from the integration of new technologies in various aspects of daily life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Explain relevant concepts in ethics. Evaluate the ethical dimensions of new technology uses. Identify impacted stakeholders and who is ethically responsible. Engage constructively in the public discourse relating to new technology impacts. Review tools and resources currently available that facilitate resolutions and ethical practice Work in a more ethically reflective way | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The workshop offers students an experience that trains their ability for critical analysis and develops awareness of responsibilities as a researcher, consumer and citizen. Learning will occur in the context of three intensive workshop days, which are highly interactive and focus on the development and application of reasoning skills. The workshop will begin with some fundamentals: the nature of ethics, of consent and big data, of AI ethics, public trust and health ethics. Students will then be introduced to key ethical concepts such as fairness, autonomy, trust, accountability, justice, as well different ways of reasoning about the ethics of digital technologies. A range of practical problems and issues in the domains of education, news media, society, social media, digital health and justice will be then considered. These six domains are represented respectively by unique and interesting case studies. Each case study has been selected not only for its timely and engaging nature, but also for its relevance. Through the analysis of these case studies key ethical questions (such as fairness, accountability, explain-ability, access etc.) will be highlighted and questions of responsibility and tools for ethical practice will be explored. Throughout, the emphasis will be on learning to make sound arguments about the ethical aspects of policy, practice and research. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 853-0051-01L | Military Sociology II (without Exercises) | W | 3 credits | 2V | T. Szvircsev Tresch, S. De Rosa, T. Ferst | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Addressing civil-military relations and the democratic control of armed forces. Highlighting the changes in the structures of European armed forces (technological, social and geostrategic changes). Examining the capability of society and military in Switzerland to maintain the militia principle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | • To understand the development of defense structures in Europe due to social, technological, economic and geostrategic changes and to be able to identify the respective implications; • to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of different systems of conscription; • to understand the basic principles of exercising democratic control over armed forces; • to be able to define the terms conscription and militia and to know the corresponding articles of the Federal Constitution; • to be able to critically question the militia principle of the Swiss Armed Forces within the context of technological and social changes; • to characterize the three different forms of cooperation in international military operations; • to discuss technical research questions on the basis of individual research results or projects of the Department of Military Sociology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The lecture "Military Sociology II" deals in detail with the question of why societies defend themselves against external threats. The lecture analyzes old and new wars, demonstrates tensions in civil-military relations and examines the influence of civil-democratic control of armed forces. It also provides an overview of current transformations of European armed forces (technological, social, economic, and geostrategic) and their influence on the acceptance and legitimation of the military in Western societies. This leads to the question of recruitment and manpower of armed forces and the societal need for alternative models of civic participation by the population. The lecture thus raises the pressing question of democratic control over societal areas which, due to socio-economic and technological developments, elude the traditional control mechanisms of Western societies. The course also addresses the aspect of diversity in the armed forces. Of organizational sociological interest is whether the armed forces constitute an organization like any other, or whether they represent a special case. Furthermore, the Swiss militia-type army is analyzed and the social prerequisites of maintaining the militia principle, as well as its limits for the Swiss Armed Forces are discussed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | A set of slides and supplementary literature will be provided for each lecture. The texts are accompanied by a set of questions which serve as exam preparation and will be partially discussed in the lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | A selection of traditional as well as current texts will be distributed in the lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0585-48L | Controversies in Game Theory Number of participants limited to 100. | W | 3 credits | 2V | D. Helbing, H. Nax, H. Rauhut | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The mini-course 'Controversies in Game Theory' consists of 5 course units that provide an in-depth introduction to issues in game theory motivated by real-world issues related to the tensions that may result from interactions in groups, where individual and collective interests may conflict. The course integrates theory from various disciplines. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students are encouraged to think about human interactions, and in particular in the context of game theory, in a way that is traditionally not covered in introductory game theory courses. The aim of the course is to teach students the complex conditional interdependencies in group interactions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The course will pay special attention to the dichotomy of cooperative vs non-cooperative game theory through the lense of the pioneering work by John von Neumann (who—which is not very well known--was an undergraduate student at ETH Zurich). We will review the main solution concepts from both fields, work with applications relying on those, and look at the “Nash program” which is a famous attempt to bridge the two. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides will be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | John v Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern. 1944. Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Games_and_Economic_Behavior) Diekmann, Andreas: Spieltheorie. Rowohlt 2009. Dixit, Avinash K., and Susan Skeath. Games of Strategy. WW Norton & Company, 2015. Ken Binmore (1992): Fun and Games. Lexington: Heath. Camerer, Colin (2003): Behavioral Game Theory. Experiments in Strategic Interaction. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Game Theory Evolving Link Evolutionary Game Theory https://www.amazon.com/Evolutionary-Game-Theory-MIT-Press/dp/0262731215/ Evolutionary Game Theory in Natural, Social and Virtual Worlds https://www.amazon.com/Evolutionary-Natural-Social-Virtual-Worlds/dp/0199981159/ Evolutionary Dynamics and Extensive Form Games Link Evolutionary Games and Population Dynamics Link Quantitative Sociodynamics https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783642115455 Synergistic Selection: How Cooperation Has Shaped Evolution and the Rise of Humankind Link Survival of the Nicest https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Nicest-Altruism-Human-Along/dp/1615190902/ Evolutionary Games with Sociophysics Link Statistical Physics and Computational Methods for Computational Game Theory Link Games of life https://www.amazon.com/Games-Life-Explorations-Evolution-Behaviour/dp/0198547838 Further literature will be recommended in the lectures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This course is thought be for students in the 5th semester or above with quantitative skills and interests in modeling and computer simulation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0557-00L | Soccer Analytics Students should be comfortable with mathematical derivations and scripting for data analysis. | W | 3 credits | 2G | U. Brandes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Soccer analytics refers to the use of data in tactical decision-making, strategic planning, and fan engagement in the context of association football. This course is first and foremost about data, problems, and methods. They are discussed, however, with reference to the broader context of measurement and data science in sports and society. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students gain insight into the role of data science in professional football. They learn about attempts to capture aspects of the beautiful game in observable data to inform tactical, strategic, and communicative decision-making. By appreciating difficulties that arise even in activities with highly regulated interactions such as team sports, they reflect on the use of data science in the study of collective behavior. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The content is organized into lectures with time for reflective discussions and a practical part, in which small teams use free software tools to gain first-hand experience in working with sports data. The following is a tentative overview of course contents, with exemplary aspects listed for each topic. A major element for each of the analytic topics are various forms of visualization such as timelines, step plots, scatterplots, density maps, shot maps, and networks. 1. Introduction - history of measurement and analytics in sports - laws of the game: equipment, space, time, players - data: master, match, event, tracking; sources, availability, uses 2. Scores - competitions: tournaments, leagues - ranking teams: coefficients, latent strengths - predicting results: odds, statistics 3. Individual Actions - running: heatmaps, pitch control - passing: packing, line breaking, crosses - shooting: expected goals & co. 4. Match Phases - set pieces, penalties, free kicks, etc. - possession, location, organization 5. Collective Behavior - formations: spatial distributions, proximity networks - attacking: possession value, positional play, passing networks - defending: (counter-)pressure, marking networks - team composition: plus/minus, interactions 6. Environment - recruitment: player profiles, transfer market, agents, salaries - governance: clubs, leagues, associations, confederations - engagement: attendance, merchandise, social media - simulation: robocup, esports, fantasy football - betting market Fair warning: This is the first edition of the course and it may be adjusted depending on interest and feedback. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Credits are awarded for active participation and a group project. To get the most out of the project, basic knowledge of programming languages such as python or R is advisable. Whether the course is offered again will be decided at the end of the semester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-19L | Applied Generalized Linear Models Does not take place this semester. | W | 3 credits | 2V | to be announced | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Generalized linear models are a class of models for the analysis of multivariate datasets. This class subsumes linear models for quantitative response, binomial models for binary response, loglinear models for categorical data, Poisson models for count data. Models are presented and practised from a problem-oriented perspective. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course has a strong focus on the application of GLMs in the social, economic and behavioural sciences. Through the presentation and discussion of case studies and the analysis of a variety of data sets (e.g., demographic, social and economic data) using the software R, students will reflect on 1. the social phenomena and the research questions that can be investigated with GLMs 2. the theoretical and practical considerations that must be taken into account to apply GLMs in a rigorous way. By doing this, students will take away a broader perspective on the standard and unique challenges that the application of GLMs entails. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The following topics will be covered: * Introduction to generalized linear models * The general linear model: ANOVA and ANCOVA * Models for binary outcomes: logistic regression and probit models * Models for nominal outcomes: multinomial logistic regression and related models * Models for ordinal outcomes: ordered logistic regression and probit models * Models for count outcomes: Poisson and negative binomial models | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Lecture notes are distributed via the associated course moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | * Fox, John. (2016). Applied regression analysis and generalized linear models (Third ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE. * Fox, John, & Weisberg, Sanford. (2019). An R companion to applied regression (Third ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE. * Hosmer, David W, Lemeshow, Stanley, & Sturdivant, Rodney X. (2013). Applied logistic regression. Hoboken: Wiley. * Long, J. Scott. (1997). Regression models for categorical and limited dependent variables. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | A sound understanding of estimation methods, hypothesis testing and linear regression models (OLS) is required | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-07L | Open Debates in Social Network Research Number of participants limited to 30 | W | 3 credits | 2S | C. Stadtfeld, A. Espinosa Rada, X. Xu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Social network research develops through contributions from many scientific disciplines. Among others, scholars of sociology, psychology, political science, computer science, physics, mathematics, and statistics have advanced theories and methods in this field - promoting multiple perspectives on important problems. We will put acclaimed (network) theories into perspective with current research. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Research on social networks has developed as a highly interdisciplinary field. By the end of this seminar, students will be able to identify and compare different discipline- and subject-specific approaches to social network research (coming mostly from sociology and psychology). They will be familiar with recent publications in the field of social networks and be able to critically participate in a number of open debates in the field. Among others, these debates are centered around the types and measurement of social relations across different contexts, the importance of simple generative processes in shaping network structure, the role of social selection and influence mechanisms in promoting segregation and polarization. Learning Objectives: - Know the most relevant social network terminology and concepts - Know the most relevant sociological and psychological social network theories - Be able to develop meaningful social networks research questions - Be able to design your own social networks study - Critically examine empirical social networks research | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Social network research develops through contributions from many scientific disciplines. Among others, scholars of sociology, psychology, political science, computer science, physics, mathematics, and statistics have advanced theories and methods in this field - promoting multiple perspectives on important problems. We will critically examine acclaimed (network) theories of sociology and psychology and put them into perspective with current research. This course aims to present and structure open debates in social network research with a focus on social network processes, individual outcomes, and emergent phenomena. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0253-08L | Advanced Topics in Evidence-Based Design for Architecture Course requirements: Completion of the course Evidence-Based Design: Methods and Tools For Evaluating Architectural Design (851-0252-08L) | W | 3 credits | 2U | C. Hölscher, M. Gath Morad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students will gain advanced knowledge and practical hands-on experience with agent-based simulations and spatial analysis tools to evaluate hospital layouts from the perspective of end-users. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will build on their previous projects as part of the course “ Evidence-Based Design: Methods and Tools For Evaluating Architectural Design” (851-0252-08L). Students enrolled will participate in an international workshop with GSAPP at Columbia University Designing the post-pandemic hospital with evidence. for people. The course is funded by an ETH innvoedum project entitled cogARCH: linking cognition and architecture to design resilient hospitals architecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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