Data Feminism: Power, Inequality, and Social Change In-Person / Online
Who gets counted, who gets excluded, and who benefits from the stories data tells?
In this workshop, participants will be introduced to Data Feminism, which Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren Klein describe as "a way of thinking about data, both their uses and their limits, that is informed by direct experience, by a commitment to action, and by intersectional feminist thought" (2020). Together, we will explore how data practices can reproduce inequalities related to gender, race, sexuality, disability, class, age, geography, and other intersecting systems of power, as well as how data can be used to make those inequities visible, challenge unequal distributions of power, and support social change. Tying an understanding of inequality to a commitment to action, we will introduce data practices that can help make equality a reality, including Mel Mikhail's proposals for data management in feminist research projects. Through an introduction to the principles of Data Feminism, participants will reflect on how these ideas can inform their own research, teaching, community engagement, and advocacy efforts.
New to Data Feminism? No problem! This workshop is designed for anyone interested in learning how data can be used to challenge inequities and support social change. Researchers, educators, students, librarians, staff, and community members are all welcome.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe key principles of Data Feminism.
- Explain how systems of power shape data collection, interpretation, and use.
- Identify opportunities to use data to amplify marginalized perspectives and advance social change.
- Reflect on their own data types and what kinds of biases and ideological beliefs inform them.
Details: Any preparatory work for the session can be found on its information page. This virtual workshop will be recorded and shared on the same page, and discoverable via the Sherman Centre's Online Learning Catalogue.
Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Sherman Centre's certificate program. For more information, visit scds.ca/certificate-program. It is also eligible for the Canadian Certificate for Digital Humanities. To learn more, visit ccdhhn.ca or contact scds@mcmaster.ca.
- Date:
- Wednesday, March 17, 2027
- Time:
- 4:00pm - 5:00pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Location:
- Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship (1st Floor, Mills Library)
- Audience:
- McMaster + Community
- Categories:
- DMDS DRI Training SCDS Sponsored Events Workshops
THE SHERMAN CENTRE FOR DIGITAL SCHOLARSHIP
The Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship connects people, builds community, and enables research to support and advance digital scholarship. We work with students, faculty, staff, and community collaborators at McMaster and beyond to support research, teaching, learning, and knowledge mobilization through digital scholarship.
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CODE OF CONDUCT
The Sherman Centre and the McMaster University Libraries are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for its presenters and participants. As a participant in this session, you agree to support and help cultivate an experience that is collaborative, respectful, and inclusive, as well as free of harassment, discrimination, and oppression. We reserve the right to remove participants who exhibit harassing, malicious or persistently disruptive behaviour.
We strive to make this event accessible to everyone. Where possible, sessions are recorded and include live captioning, and we will share recordings, slides, and transcripts afterward so you can revisit the content at your own pace. Because these materials are provided, and to help protect participant privacy and consent, we ask that attendees do not use AI note-taking or automated recording tools (such as Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Zoom AI Companion, or similar apps) without prior permission from the organizers.
Please refer to our code of conduct webpage for more information.
Danica Evering is a Research Data Management Specialist grounded in curiosity and a deep commitment to ethics. They braid together broad fluency in social practice art, healthcare, community research, data, and systems development to provide comprehensive RDM services. Danica is available to help students, postdocs, faculty, and staff with RDM through the data lifecycle—Data Management Plans, storage and backup, data security, data sharing. Danica fosters active interest in research data management across disciplines, with a knack for engaging researchers who might not even realize they have data to manage. Outside of work they sing in a choir, play PC games, maintain an art writing practice, grow a garden, contribute Wikipedia articles, and run.
Lauren McLean (She/Her/They) is the postdoctoral fellow for the Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship. As an interdisciplinary researcher, educator, and advocate, she is passionate about intersectional social change, community, and digital culture. Lauren holds a PhD in Literary Studies and Theatre Studies from the University of Guelph and her current work focuses on queer acts of resistance in relation to popular culture within online community spaces. Within and beyond her current work, Lauren is a self-declared feminist killjoy hoping for change.
Email Lauren at mclealc@mcmaster.ca
The Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship supports McMaster students, faculty, and staff, as well as anyone curious about digital scholarship. From research and teaching to training and technical support, we’re here to help bring digital projects to life at every stage!
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