SIAH Data Series 2022: Inequalities Event

Overview

Inequalities shape lives and lead to different data experiences, with already socially disadvantaged groups and people more likely to be discriminated against in data-driven systems. The relationship between inequality and datafication, therefore, requires our constant attention. A growing number of commentators are providing empirical detail about experiences of data-related inequality and discrimination (eg Eubanks 2018, Gangadharan 2020). On Living With Data , our research has highlighted how inequalities shape not only experiences of data uses, but also perceptions of them. For example, one of our surveys found that experiences of structural inequalities affect people’s feelings about everyday data uses. Our focus group research has surfaced inequalities that inform perceptions of datafication which are not widely discussed in data and inequalities literature, eg that relate to dis/ability. Our research has also highlighted how participants sometimes ‘decentre data’ to talk about things that matter to them, like fairness and in/equality. Or they imagine the experiences of structurally disadvantaged others in the face of data uses. In this paper, I present examples of the interesting and diverse ways in which inequalities surface across different Living With Data research, and I reflect on the kind of methodological orientation that is needed to centre inequalities in sociocultural research into datafication.

Speaker biography

Helen Kennedy is Professor of Digital Society at the University of Sheffield where she directs the Living With Data programme of research. She is interested in how digital developments are experienced and how these experiences can inform the work of digital practitioners in ways that overcome inequalities. She researches perceptions of and feelings about datafication and the possibility of data-related agency. She is interested in things like trust, equity, justice, and what ‘the digital good’ might look like. Other current projects include Generic Visuals in the News and Patterns in Practice: cultures of data mining in science, education and the arts . Recent books include Data Visualization in Society (Amsterdam University Press, 2020) and Post, Mine, Repeat: social media data mining becomes ordinary (Palgrave MacMillan, 2016). A full list of publications can be found here .

Other events in the series

Event 1: Literacies - Wednesday 27th April 4-5pm

Sign up for this event here

Event 2: Civics - Wednesday 4th May 4-5pm

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Following the three events with guest speakers, we will consider a further event for networking and ideas generation relating to potential University of Southampton projects.

The series will be convened by Dr Dan Ashton (Fellow in Disparate Data and Unexpected Evidence with Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities) with postgraduate and early career researchers taking on chairing/discussant roles. Please contact Dan with any queries ( [email protected] ).