The title of this seminar series draws inspiration from Craig Dalton and Jim Thatcher’s 2014 article, "What Does a Critical Data Studies Look Like, and Why Do We Care?" published in Society + Space (find the text here). Their work was an early articulation of the emerging field of critical data studies, which, at the time, urged a deeper examination of data during the height of Big Data rhetoric. The article outlined guiding principles for the critical study of data—a call that remains just as relevant today as it was ten years ago.
As the importance of critical approaches to data continues to grow, this seminar series will serve as a space to explore how criticality is present not only in how we study data, but also in how we practice and care for it. Through these discussions, we aim to reflect on how our practices engage with critical theory and responsible data use.
Each seminar will feature invited guests who will share their practice and propose a reading for the group to engage with. Together, we will explore these important questions: What does it mean to engage critically with data? And, most importantly, how do we care in and for the process and its various elements?
