Who Collects the Data? A Tale of Three Maps
Name
fc6a97cc-be39-41c3-bb5e-2c1dc88971da.pdf
Description
Published version
Size
5.35 MB
Format
Unknown
Checksum (MD5)
e3c1b4505e68b7daaa294417bb8dbf3d
Author(s)
D'Ignazio, Catherine S
Klein, Lauren
Date Issued
February 2021
Journal
MIT Case Studies in Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing
Publisher
PubPub
Citation
D'Ignazio, Catherine and Klein, Lauren. 2021. "Who Collects the Data? A Tale of Three Maps." MIT Case Studies in Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Who makes maps and who gets mapped? Using a comparative reading of three maps, this case study
introduces the idea that data may be useful, but they are not neutral. Rather, they represent the
interests and goals of the groups and institutions that are doing the data collection. These interests and
goals may be liberatory, discriminatory, or something in between. In all cases, we argue that an
analysis of social inequality is essential to understanding the ethical impacts of data collection and use.
To aid such analysis, we introduce a model of power out of sociology called the matrix of domination.
This model helps us understand why collecting data is political, why not collecting data is also political,
and what actions we can take to address unequal social relations using data science.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.21428/2C646DE5.FC6A97CC
