It’s not uncommon for someone in a discussion to assert, “I brought data into this conversation,” positioning their conclusions as objective and logical. However, it’s crucial to examine the origins of that data: Where did it come from? How was it gathered? And why does data exist for some topics while being absent for others?
MIT Associate Professor Catherine D’Ignazio SM ’14 is one of the scholars who poses these essential questions. With a diverse range of expertise, her focus lies in utilizing data to tackle social issues. She is particularly dedicated to empowering the marginalized by providing access to data and illuminating the broader civic challenges we face.
“If we aim for an educated public to engage in our democracy with data-driven insights, we need to rethink how we design our data infrastructures to facilitate that,” D’Ignazio asserts.
Consider the critical issue of feminicide, which involves the killing of women due to gender-based violence. Activists across Latin America have taken it upon themselves to meticulously document such cases, creating databases that often surpass official state records in detail. D’Ignazio has collaborated with her colleagues to design AI tools that assist human rights advocates in their monitoring efforts.
This impactful work is detailed in D’Ignazio’s upcoming 2024 book titled “Counting Feminicide,” which chronicles her experiences and has introduced this pressing issue to a broader audience. What once was a significant data gap is now filled by comprehensive databases that enable recognition of this global crisis, sparked by the initiatives of citizens. The book emphasizes how grassroots data science and citizen data activism are emerging as vital forms of civic engagement.
“When we speak of innovation, I ask: Innovation for whom? And by whom? These questions are fundamental,” D’Ignazio explains, who serves on the faculty at MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning and directs MIT’s Data and Feminism Lab. Her research and dedication to teaching earned her tenure earlier this year.
Grassroots Inspiration
With a longstanding passion for data science, digital design, and global issues, D’Ignazio’s academic journey began at Tufts University, where she earned her BA in international relations. After working as a software developer, she returned to academia, obtaining an MFA from the Maine College of Art and an MS from MIT’s Media Lab, which allowed her to unify her varied interests.
“The Media Lab was a place where I could merge my ideas about creative software applications and socially just uses of AI,” D’Ignazio reflects. “It was about organizing technology and resources for a more participatory and equitable future for everyone.”
D’Ignazio’s engagements at the Media Lab weren’t solely focused on databases. In both 2014 and 2018, she co-organized a feminist hackathon named “Make the Breast Pump Not Suck,” bringing together hundreds to design innovative solutions for postpartum health and infant nutrition. Nonetheless, much of her scholarly work revolves around data architecture, data visualization, and the intricate relationship between data production and societal context.
Her teaching career initiated at the Rhode Island School of Design as a lecturer in the Digital + Media graduate program, followed by an assistant professorship of data visualization and civic media at Emerson College’s journalism department. She became an assistant professor at MIT in 2020.
D’Ignazio’s first book, “Data Feminism,” co-authored with Lauren Klein from Emory University and published in 2020, explored various ways everyday data mirrors the civic society that produces it. For example, reported sexual assault rates on college campuses can be misleading, as those institutions with the lowest rates might also have the most challenging reporting environments for survivors.
Her global perspective—having lived in countries like France, Argentina, and Uruguay—has enriched her understanding of the regional and national politics surrounding data collection and the obstacles faced by citizen watchdogs. It’s important to realize that these undertakings are far from straightforward.
“A tremendous amount of grassroots effort goes into data production,” D’Ignazio explains. “It’s fascinating how much work citizen science groups do to make data meaningful, often due to the deficiencies in institutional data structures.”
Empowering Students
The question of participation in data science is, as D’Ignazio and Klein phrase it, “the elephant in the server room.” As an associate professor, D’Ignazio encourages all her students to consider the broader implications of data science and its social foundations. In return, she draws motivation from her students’ innovative ideas.
“One of the greatest joys of being a professor is having students who lead you to explore new territories you might not have considered,” D’Ignazio observes.
Currently, graduate student Wonyoung So is investigating issues related to housing data. While property owners easily access tenant-related information, the reverse is not as straightforward, complicating efforts to identify landlords with unusually high eviction rates.
Thus, housing represents another area ripe for innovative ideas and improved data structures. D’Ignazio acknowledges that it’s not a subject she might have chosen to explore independently, but she takes pride in facilitating the innovative contributions of others. Advancement in the application of data science to societal issues often emerges from developing new tools for community empowerment.
“I’m keen to explore how information technology can confront structural inequalities,” D’Ignazio says. “The underlying question is: How do we create technologies that enable communities to empower themselves?”
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
