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Go at your own pace
5 Sessions / 30 hours of work per session
Price
Premium membership $20/month (Preview session 1 free)
Included w/ premium membership ($20/month)
Skill Level
Beginner
Video Transcripts
English
Topics
Gender Studies, Identity, Activism, Social Justice, Social Media, Feminism

Not available for purchase in India

Open for Enrollment

Gender, Race and Technology

Open for Enrollment
You can also start immediately after joining!

Would you like to enroll?

Enrollment for this course has closed. But you can enroll in a future offering (please select)

Enrollment has closed

Go at your own pace
5 Sessions / 30 hours of work per session
Price
Premium membership $20/month (Preview session 1 free)
Included w/ premium membership ($20/month)
Skill Level
Beginner
Video Transcripts
English
Topics
Gender Studies, Identity, Activism, Social Justice, Social Media, Feminism

Not available for purchase in India

Course Description

What are the issues affecting women and minorities in the creative and technological fields? What are some of the ways to solve them? Why is diversity important? These are some of the questions we will address in this class. The format of our sessions will vary between presentations by the instructor and interviews with guests. We will be looking at case studies, examining our own attitudes and biases, and coming up with solutions. We will have nationally and internationally renowned guests from various fields at the intersection of art and technology. This is a great opportunity to find out more about fields within and beyond your interests and to study the current practices employed by leaders from various creative and technological fields.

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schedule

This course is in adaptive mode and is open for enrollment. Learn more about adaptive courses here.

Session 1: Introduction: The Changing Face of America (January 7, 2025)
We will begin by looking at the current and projected demographic changes in the United States. Then, our focus will shift toward biases and stereotypes, why we have them, the effect they have on us and on what we consume though media and portable devices. We will look at various studies examining our racial attitudes and gender stereotypes and ways they could be challenged.
8 lessons
1. Welcome & Overview
2. Demographic Changes
3. Gender Gap
4. Conscious/Unconscious Biases
5. Media Algorithms
6. Gender Stereotypes in Media
7. Gaming and Online Harassment (Premium Exclusive)
8. Challenging Gender Stereotypes (Premium Exclusive)
Session 2: Media and Race Stereotypes (January 14, 2025)
We will continue to challenge deeply held stereotypes and the effect they have on personnel decisions and work culture. We will look further into gaming and other tech industries, examine the mechanisms behind race and gender gap in tech. At the end, we’ll get a broader view of protected classes and tackle the issue of perceived reverse discrimination.
7 lessons
1. Intro (Premium Exclusive)
2. The Upward Mobility Myth (Premium Exclusive)
3. Racial Biases in Hiring (Premium Exclusive)
4. Gender Biases in Hiring (Premium Exclusive)
5. Asian Americans and Profiles in Leadership (Premium Exclusive)
6. Protected Classes and "Reverse Discrimination" (Premium Exclusive)
7. Gender and Racial Gap in Tech (Premium Exclusive)
Session 3: Interviews: Addressing Discrimination (January 21, 2025)
This session will feature interviews with renowned Iraqi-born artist Wafaa Bilal who tackles socio-political issues through high profile, technologically-driven art projects that employ robotics, the internet, and photographic mobile mapping; Jennifer Bullard, a 19-year video game industry veteran, who has worked on titles large and small such as classic favorites Heroes of Might & Magic III - IV and expanding the Sims II franchise; and Dr. Kristin McGarity, the founding director of the Music Technology program at Montana State University who built a new major for aspiring composers and sound engineers.
8 lessons
1. Wafaa Bilal: Dehumanizing Effects of the War (Premium Exclusive)
2. Wafaa Bilal: Memories and Surveillance (Premium Exclusive)
3. Wafaa Bilal: Islamophobia and Stereotypes of Muslims (Premium Exclusive)
4. Wafaa Bilal: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Artist’s Role in Society (Premium Exclusive)
5. Jennifer Bullard: Women, Minorities and the Gaming Industry (Premium Exclusive)
6. Jennifer Bullard: Skills, Leadership and Diversity in the Gaming Industry (Premium Exclusive)
7. Dr. Kristy McGarity: Women, Minorities and the Music Industry (Premium Exclusive)
8. Dr. Kristy McGarity: Looking into the Future (Premium Exclusive)
Session 4: Interviews: Employing Diversity (January 28, 2025)
This session includes interviews with with Doreen Lorenzo, Director of the Center for Integrated Design at UT Austin and a successful leader of global creative firms; Preston L. James, CEO of DIVINC.org, focused on helping innovative entrepreneurs “change the world” by working with them in an advisory, partner, consultant, mentor and/or investor capacity; Curran Nault, Joint Lecturer at University of Texas at Austin, and Founder and Artistic Director of the OUTsider festival, which unites queer artists, audiences and scholars from around the globe to exchange ideas, ignite conversations, and transcend boundaries; and Dr. Mary Fernández, President of MentorNet, a social network for mentoring STEM students.
12 lessons
1. Doreen Lorenzo: Design, Empathy, and Humor (Premium Exclusive)
2. Doreen Lorenzo: Women and Leadership (Premium Exclusive)
3. Doreen Lorenzo: Biases, Challenges, and Diversity (Premium Exclusive)
4. Preston L. James: Supporting and Empowering Minority Entrepreneurs (Premium Exclusive)
5. Preston L. James: Stereotypes and Biases (Premium Exclusive)
6. Preston L. James: Moving Forward (Premium Exclusive)
7. Curran Nault: OUTsider Festival & Intersectionality (Premium Exclusive)
8. Curran Nault: Technology & Marginalized Communities (Premium Exclusive)
9. Dr. Mary Fernandez: MentorNet & Underrepresented Communities in STEM (Premium Exclusive)
10. Dr. Mary Fernandez: Interventions (Premium Exclusive)
11. Dr. Mary Fernandez: Workplace Issues & Advice for Students (Premium Exclusive)
12. Topic for Discussion (Premium Exclusive)
Session 5: Austin's Tech Sectors and Diversity (February 4, 2025)
Is a diverse workforce good for the economy in general and for tech industry specifically? We will examine some case studies and list some strategies for moving forward.
4 lessons
1. Intro (Premium Exclusive)
2. Charlie Jackson: Fixing the Gap (Premium Exclusive)
3. Is Diversity Good for the Economy? (Premium Exclusive)
4. Diverse Teams and Role Models (Premium Exclusive)
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Learning Outcomes

Below you will find an overview of the Learning Outcomes you will achieve as you complete this course.

Instructors And Guests
Additional Information

Peer Assessment Code of Conduct: Part of what makes Kadenze a great place to learn is our community of students. While you are completing your Peer Assessments, we ask that you help us maintain the quality of our community. Please:

  • Be Polite. Show your fellow students courtesy. No one wants to feel attacked - ever. For this reason, insults, condescension, or abuse will not be tolerated.
  • Show Respect. Kadenze is a global community. Our students are from many different cultures and backgrounds. Please be patient, kind, and open-minded when discussing topics such as race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other potentially controversial subjects.
  • Post Appropriate Content. We believe that expression is a human right and we would never censor our students. With that in mind, please be sensitive of what you post in a Peer Assessment. Only post content where and when it is appropriate to do so.

Please understand that posts which violate this Code of Conduct harm our community and may be deleted or made invisible to other students by course moderators. Students who repeatedly break these rules may be removed from the course and/or may lose access to Kadenze.

Students with Disabilities: Students who have documented disabilities and who want to request accommodations should refer to the student help article via the Kadenze support center. Kadenze is committed to making sure that our site is accessible to everyone. Configure your accessibility settings in your Kadenze Account Settings.