Date of Award

Spring 5-21-2022

Document Type

Honors Project

University Scholars Director

Christine Chaney

First Advisor/Committee Member

Brian Gill

Second Advisor/Committee Member

David Leong

Keywords

Data Science, Data Ethics, Algorithms, Practices, Institutional Racism, Manipulation

Abstract

This paper encompasses an examination of defective data collection, algorithms, and practices that continue to be cycled through society under the illusion that all information is processed uniformly, and technological innovation consistently parallels societal betterment. However, vulnerable communities, typically the impoverished and racially discriminated, get ensnared in these harmful cycles due to their disadvantages. Their hindrances are reflected in their information due to the interconnectedness of data, such as race being highly correlated to wealth, education, and location. However, their information continues to be analyzed with the same measures as populations who are not significantly affected by racial bias. Not only can the data itself be manipulated by collection methods, but faulty algorithm design and poor practices and implementation can intensify the damage. Such as lack of: regulation, racial literacy, peer review, expiration of data, privacy retention, and more. There is a denial of privacy for those who are vulnerable such that they cannot afford privacy and require more attention in general, which leads to over-surveillance. Additionally, there is an imbalance of value between the analytic information of subjects and the actual humans creating such data, so that the value of bodies is diminishing in quantitative arenas.

Copyright Status

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

Additional Rights Information

Copyright held by author.

Share

COinS
 
Copyright Status

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).