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Values-Based Data Science & Design
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Improve Structural Features

Level 3 - Structural Features (WIP)

Tidy Up Homework Struc Features
Reflection Questions
Add High School Christmas game.
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Games Unlocked: Structural Feature's Interview, Field Tripping, Salvage
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Outcomes β€’ Can identify structural features of different scenarios live and from memory β€’ An intuition for when structural features lead to norms or goals
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Sharing Circle

Everyone takes turns in the circle sharing a value of theirs they lived up to that day, and a value that they didn’t, along with brief stories about what happened.

Value I managed to live up to:

Value I didn't live up to:

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🚩Flagpost: Redesign Method

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Teachers Notes
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πŸ–₯ Tracing Norms from Structural Features

Example: Structural features which generate norms

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Here are three Social System, each with a Structural Feature and the Norm which emerges:

Social System: Criminal Records

Structural Feature: Durability - Permanent

Norm Generated: Self Censorship

Dinner Party at the Community Centre

Pretext - Unclear Depth - Acquaintances

Defaulting to a safe conversation, Small talk

Ted X Stage

Audience Size - Big Durability - Permanent

Polished work

Example: Political debate on Facebook

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Our prompt: Why is facebook not an ideal platform for Political debate? What does a social media technology look like that might be able to prevent an unnecessary war?...
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All structural features of Facebook news feed comments

🌳 Personal Value that was suppressed (way you couldn't be/approach things/treat people):

Open-mindedness - approaching conversation as an ongoing exploration, seeking out viewpoints that challenge my own, and deeply reflecting on how my view is evolving.

πŸ’πŸ›ƒ Expectations that suppressed the value (following social norms or promoting ideologies):

1) I need to come off as smart and informed (and think of myself as such)

2) I need to have a sense of orientation and understand how the world works

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Structural Features

3) Many ideologies; a tendency to defend or support others in your own "tribe"

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Structural Features

πŸ“ˆ Goals and Fears that suppressed the value (strategies to get certain outcomes):

4) Running up points on the like button to like myself and be liked be others

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Structural Features

5) Win this tiny thread so I can feel superior and leave this thread alone

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Structural Features
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Question Time: Do those overriding norms evolve because of some structural features?
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βš™οΈWalkthrough Tour of Structural Features

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Take five minutes to look through this list of structural features and to think through the four situations beneath. For each situation, take note of two (or more) structural features you notice.

What two structural features characterise a dinner with friends?

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What were the structural features again?
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Click this for the filled in sheet "Dinner with friend"

What two structural features characterise a team meeting?

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What were the structural features again?
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Click this for the filled in sheet "Team Meeting"

What two structural features characterise a poetry reading?

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What were the structural features again?
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Click this for the filled in sheet "Poetry Reading"
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Teachers Notes
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😱 A Meaningless Time Interview

A Meaningless Time

πŸ’© Meaningless Time (one that felt empty, pointless, shitty):

🌳 Personal Value that was suppressed (way you couldn't be/approach things/treat people):

...treat people with ...act ...approach things ...keep things

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Is it a value?

πŸ’πŸ›ƒ Expectations that suppressed the value (following social norms / promoting ideologies):

πŸ“ˆ Goals/Fears that suppressed the value (strategies to get certain outcomes):

βš™ Structural Features Dump

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Teachers Notes
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πŸ”§ Salvage Interview

First Sweep

For each expectation and goal click the button + I found a norm / expectation.... Then copy and paste the expectation or goal from 'A Meaningless Time' into the first grey box. In the second box, list the structural features that fosters this norm.

Second Sweep

Go through each expectation or goal again. Choose a structural feature to change, which will support the value you are designing for. After identifying this structural feature, write how this might look like in the context of the meaningless time.

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Example

What norm / expectation / goal / ideological commitment do you notice here?

From what structural features does this non-value emerge?

How can you change these structural features to deescalate or flip this non-value?

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Cheat Sheet
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πŸ€” Reflection questions

Think back to a recent situation when an expectation or goal crowded out a personal value of yours. Can you identify the structural features that were linked to this expectation or goal?

Think of one setting where it seems particularly possible to live by a value of yours. What are the structural features of that space that seem relevant to that?

At the end of this class, what questions remain open? What would you like to practice more?

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πŸ•΅ Homework: Fieldtrip!

Pick one or two places this weekend to analyse, with the help of structural features.

Where did you go?

What structural features did you notice?

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Audience β€” Size:
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Audience β€” Loyalty:
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Audience β€” Feedback:
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Audience β€” Time Together:
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Connections β€” Matchmaking:
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Connections β€” Interreliance:
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Connections β€” Depth:
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Connections β€” Form:
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Contribution β€” Pretext:
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Contribution β€” Pace:
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Contribution β€” Filter:
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Consequences β€” Status:
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Consequences β€” Stakes:
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Consequences β€” Durability:
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Other Features:

List the norms and goals you observe

Answer these questions! Generate a new template for each non-value you find by clicking on the + grey button beneath.

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Cheat Sheet
Want to learn this is a social environment?