100-level

ARTS102
Problems, questions, evidence
Description
To answer many of the world’s most challenging questions e.g. those related to healthcare, social justice, poverty, climate change, and how we deal with global pandemics we need to understand evidence. This can come in various forms text, images, numbers. Evidence can be a driver for major decision making, help us to gain insight and form connections between issues, and reveal patterns and trends that would otherwise be hidden from us. How do we confidently assess evidence like this? Our decision-making is very often based on the numbers that shape the world we live in. In this course we will explore how to think quantitatively and qualitatively about the evidence behind the world’s ‘wicked problems’, and our ideals now and in the past. Subjects touched on will include public health crises, gender and ethnicity biases in the media, the representation of minority groups in the criminal justice system, and symmetry and patterns in art, literature, and other forms of human expression. The skills you will learn--of evaluating the evidence behind big issues and ideals of the day, and being able to communicate those issues to others--will be of value no matter what your course of study or future walk of life.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Semester One 2026 (Distance)
Semester Two 2026
Semester Two 2026 (Distance)
Summer Jan 2026 (Distance)
Points
15 points

Not Offered Courses in 2026

100-level

ARTS115
Islam and Islamic Societies
Description
This course is an introduction to Islam, highlighting its principles, rituals and various manifestations in today's world. Offering a multi-disciplinary and global perspective, it aims to familiarize students with contemporary debates on various issues including political Islam, the role of Sharia, gender and Islam, Jihad and terrorism, Islamophobia and Islamic civil society. The course covers a wide range of countries including New Zealand.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026, offered in 2019 , 2020 , 2022 , 2023
For further information see ARTS115 course details
Points
15 points