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Digital Humanities - Computing in the Humanities
Digital Humanities – Rechnen in den Geisteswissenschaften
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:35:42
Abstract
How do humanities compute? From the perspective of the history of knowledge and technology we will examine how the humanities deal with computing since about 1960. How have disciplines in the humanities changed by using computers and digital networks? And how have infrastructures such as libraries and IT services changed?
Objective
Students are familiarized with the interdependence of technical, epistemological and institutional change by means of sociology of knowledge, history of technology and history of knowledge. In addition to reading texts and working with sources, the seminar also includes excursions to sites of digitized knowledge.
Content
The seminar will examine how the humanities deal with computing from a knowledge and technology history perspective. To this end, we will analyze how the scientific disciplines literature (computational linguistics, distant reading), history (New Economic History, cliodynamics), sociology (simulation) and law (legal informatics) delegated their knowledge production to computers and digital networks. On the other hand, we will focus on the university's own infrastructures (libraries, IT services), whose services we can no longer do without today.
Resources
Literature
Berry, D. M. (2011). The computational turn: Thinking about the digital humanities. Culture Machine, 12, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-014-0342-4 Chun, W. H. K., & Rhody, L. M. (2014). Working the Digital Humanities: Uncovering Shadows between the Dark and the Light. Differences, 25(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1215/10407391-2419985
General Information
- Language
- German
- Levels
- DS , DR , MSC
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 20
Course Components
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Digital Humanities – Rechnen in den Geisteswissenschaften
Einführungsveranstaltung 21.09.2020 10-12 Uhr vor Ort.
Die genauen Unterrichtszeiten von ONLINE - Veranstaltungen werden von den Dozierenden kommuniziert.
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2 h weekly |
Offered In
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GESS Science in Perspective (Only the topics listed in this paragraph can be chosen as GESS Science in Perspective. Further below you will find the "type B courses Reflections about subject specific methods and content" as well as the language courses. 6 ECTS need to be acquired during the BA and 2 ECTS during the MA Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again.)
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Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (Suitable for all students. Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again.)
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Doctoral Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (More Information at: )