Population data, which is usually collected through instruments such as censuses, health surveys, educational records, and biometric systems, plays a foundational role in the distribution of economic resources and political representation. Our research critically examines how these large-scale data systems categorize individuals and communities, often in ways that reproduce structural inequalities. With a particular focus on census data, we ask: Who is counted, how are categories constructed, and what are the consequences of exclusion from the official record? We investigate the politics of contested information and examine how data infrastructures, such as the census, might be reimagined to better support equity and justice.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Leave a Reply