[Reader-list] Gap Minder

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear Issac (and All )

It is nice to see some posts on emerging 'nice/pretty nice' ways of
looking at data. In this regard, the overlap of aesthetics and
epistemology is indeed interesting.

Some preliminary questions came up while thinking about these issues,
I have tried to list them as follows-  for instance, I do not know how
notions with respect to truth claims or validity of representation
could be reasonably dealt with a certain amount of confidence while
using quantitative data? This is a contested territory both
epistemologically and aesthetically.  Even in a decision making
process which relies on quantitative data one wonders how questions
related to ruling ideology of the day and its role in molding
seemingly 'rational' decisions are addressed? For instance take the
case of policies related to urban planning in the UK. For the last 60
years official statistical organizations have been churning numbers
which suit the ideology of the day. Hence in the name of
Reconstruction, Revitalization, Renewal, Redevelopment and
Regeneration, the policy makers have been able to create a seemingly
rational rhetoric to push their agendas. While in the hind sight many
so called experts have successfully refuted the claims of such
propositions and were able to generate a counter imagery using almost
the same set of numbers.

Do these visual representations by their very nature not tend to iron
out various underlying variables which make up this data? Do all
political process everywhere appeal to a so called 'rational' form of
decision making process? How should one approach the question of
'rationality' in political decision making? Is there some universal
system or process through which political discourse or policy
decisions sprouting from such a discourse could be referred to and
could one conclusively locate 'rationality' in such a process? Does
questions related to data and its visualization or representation
appeal to only political structures and leave no room for some times
'irrational' agency of operators, agents or actors?

 In this  regard, Isaac, could you please articulate a bit more on
your claim, that such data could be  'a boon to political discourse
and rational decision making'. This claim might be true in some places
but from a south asian perspective I  think one would hesitate before
advocating a blatant use of data to boost political discourse or to
make 'rational decisions' :)

For instance, on a broad level, in the last thirty years at least, in
a country like India, we did not have a single instance of mass
political mobilization by some political dispensation which was able
to use some correlations based on 'nice/pretty nice' data or analysis
and make a serious bid to power or emerge as a serious long term
player.

At the same time I think numbers are an essential tool for governance
related issues, or to analyze the purported impact of a policy in this
regard I do not think I would have pitched my tone to the tune of
'lies, counter lies...'.

Having said that, I would be very interested if you could please share
with us any instances where data or resultant correlationships were or
are being used to aid either 'political discourse' or 'rational
decision making' process. In this regard maybe you could also
elaborate more on the overlaps of aesthetics and epistemology. It
would be indeed very informative to know more about ways of looking
and think about questions related to visual rhetoric and claims to
valid forms of knowledge about society.

I look forward to your reply.

Warm regards

Taha