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Book

Invisible women : data bias in a world designed for men

Call Number

  • 305.42 C9281 (OSH)

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Publication Information

New York : Abrams Press, [2019]

Physical Description

xv, 411 pages ; 24 cm

Summary

"Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development to health care to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this bias, in time, money, and often with their lives. Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates this shocking root cause of gender inequality in Invisible Women. Examining the home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor's office, and more, Criado Perez unearths a dangerous pattern in data and its consequences on women's lives. Product designers use a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to everything from pianos to cell phones to voice recognition software, when in fact this approach is designed to fit men. Cities prioritize men's needs when designing public transportation, roads, and even snow removal, neglecting to consider women's safety or unique responsibilities and travel patterns. And in medical research, women have largely been excluded from studies and textbooks, leaving them chronically misunderstood, mistreated, and misdiagnosed. Built on hundreds of studies in the US, the UK, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, highly readable exposé that will change the way you look at the world"--Jacket.

Contents

  • Introduction: The default male
  • Part I: Daily life. Can snow-clearing be sexist? ; Gender neutral with urinals
  • Part II: The workplace. The long Friday ; The myth of meritocracy ; The Henry Higgins effect ; Being worth less than a shoe
  • Part III: Design. The plough hypothesis ; One-size-fits-men ; A sea of dudes
  • Part IV: Going to the doctor. The drugs don't work ; Yentl syndrome
  • Part V: Public life. A costless resource to exploit ; From purse to wallet ; Women's rights are human rights
  • Part VI: When it goes wrong. Who will rebuild? ; It's not the disaster that kills you.

Subjects