Social Science - FAS

HIST 1947 - The Imperial Map: Geographic Information in the Age of Empire

Maps and empires have entangled histories. In this course we will examine the evolution of geographic information technology and the way imperial states and subjects used atlases, boundary surveys, town plans, and topographical maps to manage information flows and generate political and cultural capital. We will learn to speak the language of maps: particularly maps of the Russian Empire. Through units devoted to Siberia, the Black Sea, and European Russia, we will reconstruct the history of an empire through maps held right here at Harvard.

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Mapping Ancient Landscapes

Racing against the clock as development encroaches on important Kurdish heritage sites, a team of landscape archaeologists deploys drones and comparative image analysis to capture previously undetected ancient settlements.  This project features research by Dr. Jason Ur and maps by Jeff Blossom, and was published as a chapter in a large format book ...

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GOV 94DN - Mapping Social and Environmental Space

This seminar will use mapping as a methodological technique to examine social and environmental issues. Students will be expected to use mapping software to examine spatial data for a location and topic of their choice for their final paper. Weekly discussions will be conducted in class on various mapping related topics. References will range from books like "How to lie with Maps" to current journal articles examining the use of GIS in social science.

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GOV 1021 - Spatial Models of Social Science

This course will survey the theory and application of airborne and satellite remote sensing, primarily as a tool for spatial social science. Students will learn the basics of electromagnetic radiation, reflection and absorption, satellite and sensor technology, and digital image analysis, with a focus on data acquisition and preparation. Students will learn the use of software for image processing and analysis, the fundamentals of raster GIS, and the use of a scriptable online platform for quick remote processing. Applications will have a social focus, including urbanization and...

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GOV 1008 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

This courses teaches the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a collection of hardware and software tools that allow users to visualize and analyze geographic data in its spatial configuration. Students will learn the theory of geospatial analysis alongside practical methods for acquiring, manipulating, displaying, and analyzing cartographic data.

Course catalog listing

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ANTHRO 2020 - GIS & Spatial Analysis In Archaeology

An introduction to the GIS and remote sensing methods used by archaeologists to document and analyze datasets at the scale of the site and the region. This class will involve the hands-on use of printed maps, aerial photography, satellite imagery, digital terrain models, GPS-based observations, and UAV (drone) photogrammetry to approach archaeological research questions. Students will gain competence in creating spatial data for fieldwork, print publication, and online visualization (web maps and 3D modeling), and in basic spatial analysis of archaeological datasets.  Labs will use...

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Geotweet Archive v2.0

The Harvard Center for Geographic Analysis (CGA) maintains the Geotweet Archive, a global record of tweets spanning time, geography, and language. The primary purpose of the Archive is to make a comprehensive collection of geo-located tweets available to the academic research community.

The Archive extends from 2010 to the present and is updated daily. The number of tweets in the collection totals approximately 10 billion, and it is stored on ...

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Measurement of partisan segregation for 180 million U.S. voters using advanced geospatial data science

Partisan segregation among people has important political and social implications. Historically, such measurements have been limited to county levels but this innovative work enabled Harvard researchers to analyze partisanship down to the level of individuals for the first time. In this work, CGA along with the Department of Government Professor Ryan Enos and graduate student Jacob Brown have leveraged advances in geospatial data science to measure partisan segregation down to the...

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