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Journal 10: DH and PH
Digital humanities is concerned about the computational, data, or digital analysis portion of the humanities. It explores tools and methods that relate to the public humanities, but using a lens that is specific to digital processes. For example, data science, as we see in Data Feminism, can be used to uncover problems in algorithms that make the oppressed more oppressed. Public humanities deal with how society documents, analyzes, and learns from previous human experiences through the disciplines of language, history, art, philosophy, religion, etc. For example, how we decide what to archive is dependent on what we deem worth while.
The biggest takeaway for me from the readings and discussions was Archives Power or Algorithms of Oppression. For Archives Power, It was enlightening to see how much society influences how we learn and interact with the information we are given. The archival researches have so much power over what we save, see, or understand about the documents, pictures, etc. that society is allowed to view and interpret. Not only do they influence what we are allowed to see, but they influence how we interpret what we see. Algorithms of Oppression has similar tactics that cause the oppressed to become more oppressed. For example, they created data processes to be fair in their eyes, but the input influences the output which are created by groups that aren't oppressed for the oppressed. The very system is unfair. Both of these readings and the discussion of the readings brought to light problems within the system that, at least in my world, have been covered up.
Currently, I feel that just being more conscious and aware of what data or societal influence is going into the information we are seeing is crucial. Having uncovered many issues with digital and public humanities in this class, I feel that I have been able to catch smaller problems in the system as the semester has passed. One thing I can do in the future can be to relay the information I have learned in the class. Maybe recommending one of the books we read or telling people to be more aware of what they are seeing because everything has been influenced by society. I can also speak up. I'm not afraid to confront others and speak out about the issues that face our society. Now that I have an eye out for ways our society influences people, it will be easier to catch things at the root of their issue to call them out. Making connections and supporting communities as a whole will also be very helpful. One voice doesn't always create change, but having a community to support you is essential.
Sources:
Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Noble
Data Feminism by Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren Klein
Archives Power by Randall C. Jimerson
Journal 9: Invisible Women
The gender data gap is a work in this chapter by the author showing examples of the representation that isn't present for women in data, even for things that are directly for them. For example, breast pumps and pelvic floor devices are no well manufactured because of the small amount of data that is collected on women, especially in these areas. "But if the data gap of what women actually want is fairly easily fixed by, well, asking women, there’s another more chronic gap: data on the female body itself" (Perez Chr. 9). This market is huge, and highly likely to be profitable, but the low amount of research and societal norms that have created this system have influenced the way businesses run. Not only are they straying away from markets designed for women, but they are also leaving women out of the business and manufacturing process. Another example of this gender data gap is with the way cars and seatbelts were designed. Still, to this day, cars are being tested with male test dummies and haven't accounted for the higher injury and death rate of women. Even though women are experiencing more injury from car accidents, car companies still haven't taken women into account when they are creating seatbelts and safety measures.
I, honestly, would like to know more about the data collection on women's bodies. Why haven't women just taken the initiative to do the research? Why are we still using products that don't work? Why aren't businesses putting their money into a huge market? Why aren't men getting into this market when they could potentially make lots of money? Why is this gender data gap still happening when 50% of the population is female? Why is the stigma behind women and their body parts still considered "disgusting"? What have women done to take action against this gender data gap? Are there intersectional approaches to this or are we just thinking male/female?
This text and my questions definitely show some Data Feminism characteristics. Not only does the gender data gap become prevalently connected to Data Feminism, the initiative that we need more data about women relates too. Data feminism explores the reasons why we don't have more data on women and why this influences our society. Invisible Women shared examples of how this data can affect real life women and how the gender data gap causes harm to our female population.
Sources:
Data Feminism by Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren Klein
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez
November 14, 2022
Journal 8: Ngram Exercise
I wanted to see the difference between two public figures from the Civil Rights movement and segregation. I used Rosa Park and Martin Luther King Jr. Before entering their names in the Ngram, I thought that Martin Luther King Jr. would have more popularity, not only because of his speeches, writings, and involvement with the movement, but because he is more written about in our history textbooks and because he is a man. However, when I entered their names, Rosa Parks has always had much more consistency of being higher than Martin Luther King Jr. There was a slight increase for Martin Luther King Jr. in 1951 and 1952. However, after this, Rosa Parks has a very higher percentage of usage. I decided to use a different Ngram to see if they still align so instead of using Martin Luther King Jr., I just used Martin Luther King. The results were completely opposite. Martin Luther King was significantly higher in percentage than Rosa Parks. This is very weird to me because Martin Luther King was Martin Luther King Jr's father, not the one who was the largely famous public figure.
For the first graph, the added "Jr." changed the graph completely. I was really surprised by this: that the graph could change with a few simple words. I'm not sure how accurate the second graph is, because it doesn't really make sense, but after looking at the second graph, it starts to make more sense. I believe the second graph is more accurate than the first. However, I was still surprised that Rosa Parks didn't have a higher percentage. It was also surprising to me that the percentages have been at their highest in the last 15 years. There was an increase in the 1970s for Martin Luther King in the second graph too. Based on what I know from both of these public figures, this data could be based on speeches, academic writings, books, textbooks, news articles, audio/video, etc. The second graph makes more sense with my original theory. "As with any method or technique, the question of value is best posed by seeing what these methods add to existing and/or traditional approaches, rather than dismissing them out of hand---or embracing them with uncritical enthusiasm" (pg. 110-111). This value could also affect the outcome of the graph. The works of Martin Luther King have been seen as more valuable than Rosa Parks.
Sources:
Johanna Drukcer, "Data Mining and Analysis"
Google Ngram Viewer
November 7, 2022
Journal 7: Herland
The concept of motherhood and eugenics was very interesting to me and related to something I just read a couple weeks ago. In Herland, motherhood is not a personal concept, but more rooted in community. A mother gives birth; however, she gives the baby to those who are most fit to raise it (pg. 85). The women treat every child as if it were their own and love each one, not just the ones they birth. It created a sense of community. In this development of motherhood, there is also the idea of eugenics to create the best community possible. While the men thought this was very weird, Somel explained, "We have, of course, made it our first business to train out, to breed out, when possible, the lowest types" (pg. 86). Van, who isn't alone when it comes to American society, was intrigued. These two concepts were very similar to what I read in The Just City by Jo Walton. She created a utopia that was based on pursuing justice. She also had motherhood become a universal thing, which didn't sit well with many of the mothers in the society but was still practiced. Those who were trained to be a mother and caregiver took care of the children. Eugenics was also included to make sure all of the children could become "their best selves" and have the best genetics possible to ensure their greatness. While some thought this was unethical, it was carried out in secret by those running the society.
Drawing from these similarities, I can understand how the men find it hard to understand and accept, but it creates a sense of justice, universal motherhood, and community. While the mother may feel betrayed by the fact that she doesn't individually mother her own child and could be refused to have a child if she is deemed unfit, she is able to mother and love all the children of the society and create the best children possible to run the city in the future. Even though the women of The Just City were somewhat against these practices and fell short in the execution, the women of Herland seem to accept it and like it. I think the main difference here with the society being successful was the sense of motherhood being universal. Explained in Chapter 8, it says, "And the mother instinct, with us so painfully intense, so thwarted by conditions, so concentrated in personal devotion to a few, so bitterly hurt by death, disease, or barrenness, and even by the mere growth of the children, leaving the mother alone in her empty nest --- all this feeling with them flowed out in a strong, wide current, unbroken through the generations, deepening and widening through the years, including every child in the land" (pg. 98). The sadness of never having personal motherhood or being deemed unfit to have a child is thrown out the window in Herland. Because even though you may not have that personal connection to your genetic child, you get a large sense of community and motherhood with everyone. Every woman is aiming to create a better, more loving society.
Sources:
The Just City by Jo Walton
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
October 28, 2022
Journal 6: Archives Power
This article really intrigued me because the only information I knew about archivists was in fictional movies or books. I totally thought that it was just a regular, "neutral" job that just worked with documents and artifacts in museums, governments buildings, and libraries. However, that idea of "neutral" was immediately changed. Jimerson introduced the idea of archivists being able to shape the narrative of history. In his example, he includes analogies of the temple, prison, and restaurant. The temple being a way of explaining how archivist have the authority over the artifacts and shape social understanding, the prison represented the archivist's responsibility and control over the artifact's preservation and security, and the restaurant showing the archivist's role as interpreter and mediator between records and users (pg. 3). At first, when I read this I was a little upset. I didn't realize that history and social interpretation was shaped by archivists so much. It makes me wonder how much my understanding of artifacts have been influenced by an archivist's work. I want to start becoming more aware of how the story of certain artifacts are shaped and open my eyes to the way in which our country has understood things that could have a totally different story.
With the discussion we had in class over the National Archives website, I think use and access to the public is also something that peaked my interest. Jimerson mentions that archivists have power over how artifacts are used and accessed by the public which was demonstrated in the website (pg. 16). There was one document that seemed interesting to our group, but some of the words were still blacked out. While I did understand the purpose of the website (giving the narrative back to the public), I still think the access was difficult. For example, the blacked out words and the fact that my grandparents would never be able to figure out the website and be able to contribute, even though I think they would be the most interested in some of the historical topics that were listed to interpret. I liked the overall goal of the website, but it still makes me question how much influence and control the archivist's have over it.
Sources: Archives Power: Memory, Accountability, and Social Justice by Randall C. Jimerson
October 5, 2022
Journal 5: Art of Relevance
I haven't been to many museums, but the ones I have been to didn't seem unwelcoming. While I recognize that I am a white woman, I also know that I don't pay much attention to museums being open to me or not. Every time I have walked into a museum, I haven't felt unwelcomed or nervous about going in. While that may be attributed to my strong "I don't give a crap" attitude, I also recognize that the only minorities I fall under are female and slightly overweight. I am privileged, in simpler terms. So, for me, I didn't even recognize that the door may have been closed, I just opened it anyway.
After reading the Art of Relevance, my eyes opened up a bit. Not necessarily just to museums, but to the real world as well. As an insider to certain places and things, I need to recognize that if I invite someone in, I can't change their "key". I have to create a door for them that their key works with. It would be wrong to try and change the person's experiences, diversity, or perspective. I just need to make a door for them instead of expecting them to follow in the same door I did. I also have to understand that it is on their own terms. I am normally pretty good about being open to letting people in my room and making room for others, but I think I need to work on being more aware of creating a door for others to enter and letting them unlock it. The book talks about going out and becoming an outsider in the community so you can find what doors you need to make for others. I probably need to try this more often. I am a comfort person, so going into places that don't have a door for me just isn't something I think about which also may weaken my perspective of inclusion. I think to insert myself in new situations, which I am hoping to do more in college, will strengthen my awareness of what doors I need to build in my own spaces.
One experience in reading that related back to my museum experience was the idea of "dumbing it down". I am guilty of thinking business or places dumb things down to be more inclusive sometimes and it defeats the purpose of their mission; however, upon reading the section over this, I realized that they do it for a reason and my view of the mission doesn't change just because they changed it for other people. This is a point where I may be lacking in the awareness process. The national park example was perfect to explain it as well because it isn't just about my view all the time. Others, like handicap people, want to experience the same thing I am, they just need more support or better access. This article really changed my perspective and I hope to start building more doors for others.
Source: The Art of Relevance by Nina Simon
September 29, 2022
Journal 4: Family Stories and Memory
I believe how you tell a story of a family is completely based on you as an individual. It can be different for each person. For example, while my mother and grandmother are completely related, by blood, they tell stories completely differently. I also see a difference in the way my grandfather tells stories, especially with his experience in war.
With the example I gave in class, my grandmother and mother compile a photo album completely differently. Personally, I like viewing my grandmother's more than my mom's because of the disorder of the pictures. While my mom puts photos into the album based on which child and year it was for, my grandma puts them in a generality. If it is generally around the same year, generally the same people, etc., then she puts them together. If they were printed together, she put them together. While they both have similar family stories, the way they choose to talk about it is completely different. My grandparents also owned a bar for many years. Growing up, my mother hated to be associated with it and didn't like the "party" scene it brought along with her family name. However, the way my grandma described it, and the way I remember it, the bar was fun and just their way of life. I think this also plays into the memory aspect of it too. My grandma's memory isn't as good as it was, so the stories that she tells could be missing pieces that my mother actually remembers.
Another example, with my grandpa is his use of humor to avoid and cover up his trauma. He was a solider in the Vietnam War and won two purple hearts, but he never talked about it. Until recently, when my family cleaned out his house for him and I spent a lot of time talking to him, I never really understood all that he went through. I believe that he has repressed some of these memories which has affected his story of that time. His PTSD has also caused some of his memories to be changed. But, most importantly, his humor has covered up his pain. Growing up, I always thought that my grandpa was funny and just a happy guy all of the time. He would make jokes, but I learned that these jokes were to avoid what he went through and the stressful life he had. His storytelling isn't always true, which I think has something to do with affected memory, and most of the time a lie to be funny.
September 22, 2022
Journal 3: Story Map
After looking on Story Map, it was interesting to see how different stories were laid out and told using the map feature. I had never seen anything like this before and it peaked my interested. It got me wondering about which story from my life I would choose to portray in a map setting. The districts of the Hunger Games and Katniss' journey through them seemed like a story I could tell using a map.
First, I would have to created a layout of the districts based on their production. For example, District 2 is known for military so they would be closer to the Captiol. There are many different maps around the internet, so it would be a challenge to decide where each district actually is and how it relates to their production. I would have to do some research of my own to figure out where each district goes in relation to the Captiol and the map of the United States. After creating the map of the districts, I would then begin to go through the books and give a description of what she did during each trip she took during the series. Starting in the first book, Katniss travels from district 12 to the Captiol and then proceeds to the Stadium of the Games for that year. After she won the games, she returned to district 12 after her Victory Tour through each of the 12 districts. In the second book, she travels back to the capitol and then to the second Stadium of the Games for the second year which is in a different location that in the first. In the end of this book and in the start of the third, Katniss is taken to district 13. From there, she travels to district 12, district 8, and the Captiol during different chapters. She ends her story in the Capitol and eventually creates a home somewhere outside of the districts.
I included many different maps that I found that I can use to create my own that I feel is the best. I think this would be an interesting story to map and I can't wait to create the districts based on my reading and research.
September 7, 2022
Sources:
Amy Herman’s Visual Intelligence, 2016.
Rene Magritte's The Son of Man
Parul Parashar’s 20 Most Famous Art Pieces Around The World: TripHobo
August 31, 2022
Journal 2: Perception Practice
As I was scrolling through pictures on the internet of “famous art”, I found myself intrigued by ‘The Son of Man’ by Rene Magritte. I remember seeing it before, but not fully looking at it and taking the time to look at details. Immediately, I saw a man standing in a black/dark gray suit with a red tie and black hat. The hat style makes me believe that the time period of this painting was around the 1950s-60s. However, there was a bright green apple with leaves right over his face. Before I tried to take in the meaning of that, I looked around the man. I saw a cloudy sky that met water, which then met a brick wall. The light seems to be coming from the left side of the painting due to a shadow covering his right hand. His right hand and arm look a little distorted, almost as if it was backwards too. His stature also seems rigid due to his straight posture.
Everything in the background, behind the man, seemed simple and plain; thus, making the man (and the apparent apple) the main focus. While I could see an eye peeking out behind the apple, I believe there is a reason the apple was put in front of his face, instead of somewhere understandable, like his hand. The apple in front of the face reminds me of the saying “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” which correlates with the title of the piece somewhat, which means that a child imitates or has similar characteristics to their parents.
Upon further research about the painting, since I couldn’t help myself from doing so, I found an interesting quote from the artist about the painting that intertwines with our current studies. Magritte said, “‘Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see’” (Parashar). While it seemed to have other meanings, he plainly put that our perspective needs to dive further into what is hidden. This perfectly falls under the readings and practices of Amy Herman.
Journal 1: The Headstrong Historian
My initial thought after reading this was the idea of preservation through family history and storytelling. Nwamgba, who stayed rooted in her culture, continued to tell stories to her grandchildren in hopes that they would understand and respect her native traditions when her son didn’t. Afamefuna was able to keep her history alive while also studying and learning traditional English ways, which can be a hard task to accomplish. On page 14, it says “It was Grace who would ponder this story for a long time, with great sadness, and it would cause her to make a clear link between education and dignity, between the hard, obvious things that are printed in books and the soft, subtle things that lodge themselves in the soul”. I think this beautifully describes the relationship between education and culture that creates the history we have today. Like I mentioned, we can stay rooted in our culture, while also becoming educated on other ways of life, which is what Grace, or Afamefuna, did. I admire their faith and stubbornness, which are qualities I also posess.
From the very beginning of the story, I saw the development of culture through storytelling with Ayaju, who gathered lots of information and stories from her travels. Storytelling seemed like one of their best forms of communication because they didn’t access books, schooling, and education like the Christians who came to them were accustomed to. They taught their children through what they were taught, which was easily passed down through storytelling. It reminded me of my life with the stories and ways that my grandma tells me. I have learned so much from her just by sitting and listening to her stories. Her life hacks and fun way of doing tasks have now been passed down to me and have become a part of my everyday life as well. These stories I have passed along to my friends and will also pass along to my children in the future, which continues the preservation of small bits of history. That’s why I think storytelling plays a huge role in the early, and current, development of history.
Sources: The Headstrong Historian by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
August 24, 2022
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