Data Ethics & Society Reading Group 06.09.22
Meeting info
Description
You’re welcome to join us for the third of the 2022 Data Ethics & Society Reading Group sessions, on Tuesday 6th September 2022 at 12:00-13:00.
We will be discussing Caroline Criado Perez’s Invisible Women. Invisible Women shows us how, in a world largely built for and by men, we are systematically ignoring half the population. It exposes the gender data gap – a gap in our knowledge that is at the root of perpetual, systemic discrimination against women, and that has created a pervasive but invisible bias with a profound effect on women’s lives.
Please consider either buying the book from a local, independent bookseller, or picking up a used copy online.
Thank you to Katy and Annie for suggesting this events content.
Discussion points
- Caroline Criado Perez states that the data gender gap “is not generally malicious, or even deliberate.” What do you think she means by this? How do factors like workforce development, education, and gender representation historically contribute to creating a gender data gap?
- In addition to the gender data gap, can you think of any other groups who may be impacted by a gap in data and research?
- Were there any aspects of the book that made you re-examine your own decision making? Or the decision making of your employer, community leaders, or elected officials and policy makers?
- Can you think of “gender-neutral“ (or “overall-neutral”) concepts/designs that actually disproportionally benefit one group over another? How might these be rectified?
- On voice recognition software failing to hear female voices. “What women need is lengthy re-training – if only women were willing to submit to it. Which, they just aren’t.” What are the issues in expecting users to adapt to design?
- “Women have more complex travel patterns.” Is it possible/practical to incorporate complex scenarios into any decision making? What are the overall benefits of this?