University of Auckland

This course examines findings from economics, psychology and neuroscience to discuss decision making at the level of individuals, within small groups and in more anonymous and impersonal market settings with an emphasis on the role of social norms and cognitive biases.

This course explores the basic skills of performing and expressing the meaning of songs through actions, as well as the settings in which they are performed. Students perform a complete bracket of kapa haka items in front of an audience consisting of a haka powhiri, waiata, action song, poi, and haka. Furthermore, students introduce each item; name the composer(s) and history of the item; and demonstrate the individual compositions, appropriateness in powhiri (ritual encounter of welcome), and knowledge of Maori protocols. The course also examines the Maori creation story, significant Polynesian ancestors, and constituent parts of the marae and wharenui.

This course addresses applied ethical issues arising in digital journalism, social media, “big data” surveillance and privacy, algorithmic bias, and software design. As digital media expand beyond the personal computer, there is an increase of ethical issues pertaining to mobile devices, GPS navigation, biometric modelling, artificial intelligence, and the ever-expanding range of wired devices tracking us through the so-called ‘internet of things’.