Anthropologists propose shifting focus from using data to studying data itself
In short: Researchers argue that anthropology should move beyond using data as a tool to studying the social life of data practices. While early excitement focused on the insights promised by 'big data,' recent concerns have shifted toward dystopian visions of privacy invasion and political manipulation.
The authors argue for an approach that is both ethnographically specific and theoretically ambitious. By treating the 'data moment' as a primary subject of study, they suggest that engaging with data practices can be both politically important and conceptually generative for the field.
As a theoretical introduction, this paper presents a conceptual argument for a new research direction rather than reporting on an empirical study.
Why it matters: Anthropology can move beyond using data as a tool to studying the social and political implications of data itself.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Douglasjones et al. (2021). Introduction: Towards an anthropology of data. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute.
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