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Research priority "Human | Data | Society"

The digital transformation of the last decades has increasingly turned our society into a data society. Data processes very much shape our social reality, while social reality, in turn, triggers these technical processes. In the context of Human | Data | Society, researchers aim to rethink these processes of datafication and digitalization. The focus is clearly on humans and studying the socio-technical relationships connecting people, data and society.

The research network employs a transdisciplinary approach to examine media-cultural, social, legal, political, psychological and technical aspects of the data society. Our researchers from different fields bring together perspectives from cultural inquiry (including law, sociology and media studies), behavioural science (including psychology and political science), and computer and information science.

A key part of the research priority is the Centre for Human | Data | Society at the University of Konstanz. Another central component is the Collaborative Research Centre SFB-TRR 161 "Quantitative Methods for Visual Computing". Human | Data | Society also benefits from Konstanz's transdisciplinary SFB initiative "Serious Gaming" examining the increasingly blurry boundaries between (digital and analogue) gaming and work, as well as from the interdisciplinary network initiative RuD focusing on the digitalization of law as well as digitalization by law.

In the area of teaching, the research priority dovetails with the "Advanced Data and Information Literacy Track" (ADILT) – a cross-disciplinary programme on data and information literacy for students in Konstanz – as well as the university's interdisciplinary teaching priority on law and digitalization.

Human | Data | Society involves the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
– 03 "Good health and well-being"
– 04 "Quality education"
– 08 "Decent work and economic growth"
– 09 "Industry, innovation and infrastructure"
– 11 "Sustainable cities and communities"
– 16 "Peace, justice and strong institutions"
– 17 "Partnerships for the goals"

Current news

The data of the others: Shadow Profiles

When social networks collect information about people who are not registered with them, this is called a "shadow profile". But how do shadow profiles come about? Are they legal? What do they mean for our society?

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"Serious gaming" in the world of work

On the occasion of this year's Gamescom with numerous lectures on serious games or games and learning, Beate Ochsner talks about the potential of gaming in the world of work, about the historical background of theory as well as about new, increasingly data-oriented practices of "serious gaming" in our contemporary society.

Introduction at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

After the Rector of the University of Konstanz, Prof. Dr. Katharina Holzinger, welcomed the guests, Prof. Dr. Liane Wörner elaborated on the research objective and the basic idea of the Centre for Human | Data | Society.  Jun-Prof. Dr. Andreas Gruber (member of the CHDS) also presented some of his CHDS-related research projects. With Eirliani Abdul Rahman (scholarship holder), Dr. Svenja Behrendt and Dr. Alexandra Windsberger, further members of the Centre were able to present their research…

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