Part of what creates these structures, or what allows them to keep going, is the “privilege hazard,” or having a bunch of people in charge who are making decisions without any insight into what life is like for people who are oppressed nor any input from those same people. Many pointed this out, too:

• Elaine writes about how “our imbalance of power is reflected in data systems.”
• Elaine also notes this disturbing phenomenon around automation and skin color that has been reported elsewhere that has happened to a friend’s co-worker at Amazon: “My Asian American friend who works at an Amazon Warehouse brought up an example on how his black coworker had a hard time using the bathroom sink. His friend claimed that the automatic touch sensor would not work in detecting his hands while trying to use the sink and at times he would have to use his palms (of a lighter color) to actually make it work. My friend who uses the same facilities have never had issues related to it. He expressed that it was the first time in his life realizing how privileged he is from being able to use the restroom without any issues and realized how unfortunate people of color are. In the case of my friend’s coworker, his colored skin prevented him from being able to just simply wash his hands”
• Mahima writes that to counteract this “we need to take steps by actually providing accurate data and changing the models and start working on datasets that have not been collected yet because of bias and lack of social and political will.”
• Andrea notes bluntly that things won’t change until the same difficult experiences that oppressed people face happens to the powerful: “If other social classes cannot see or experience what others do, the problem will continue until it happens to an individual from their social group; a problem that is not just in the United States, it happens all around the world. The ignorance, unawareness to others, and lack of lived experience of those in the position of power is a problem.”
• Similarly, Gina write the following: “If the people in power are not being effected negatively by the same things as the people without power, they aren’t likely to look into the matter”

I’m struck by the contrast between Mahima and Andrea/Gina here. I agree with both, but feel uneasy about both and am not sure what the right answer is.

From one perspective, I agree with Mahima that we need to social and political will to find accurate data and show the problems that occur. This works, but there are limitations (as we see in chapter 2 where D’Ignazio and Klein discuss in asking “on whom is the burden of proof placed?”…how anecdotal evidence is routinely and easily accepted when offered by the powerful and privileged but how robust and statistical evidence often dismissed by the oppressed and “more data will be never enough”. Hmm.

From another perspective, I agree with Andrea and Gina. It just won’t change until the powerful experience the same thing. But, how realistic is that to happen? Can we wait or rely on that happening? And even if it does happen, will it change that much? For instance, many powerful people got COVID-19 early on in the pandemic and even died (this gap has closed as treatment got better and they were able to obtain remedies). It was never near the same rates as oppressed peoples, but it did happen.

So what is the answer? The answer is not do nothing. How do we use Mahima’s and Andrea’s/Gina’s perspectives but push forward toward good collection, analysis, and action?

Perhaps part of the answer in terms of communication might be Dalanda’s write up of making these things feel more concrete:

“Imagine this: You go to the doctor and routinely feel unseen, unheard, and misunderstood. Sometimes you fear you’ve been misdiagnosed. But your concerns are brushed off. You aren’t apprised of the full range of treatment options—the doctor seems to assume they don’t apply to you, or that you can’t take in all the information. Your local hospital is underfunded, the equipment outdated, frequently nonfunctional. You’re denied pain meds. You’re handled brusquely and staff openly question your ability to pay.”

What do you think?

 

Click here to return to the main letter page.