Data imaginaries

"[1] It is a social constructivist theoretical concept that comes from the field of critical data studies, which is concerned with identifying these frames and questioning them rather than just taking them at face value.

[9][2] According to Vanheeswijck, one of the most significant writers on this topic is Charles Taylor in his book A Secular Age, which defines social imaginaries as common understandings that facilitate collective actions and exist in cultural practices rather than being theoretically articulated.

Theories of the social imaginary assert that these constructions are not fake or meaningless, as they direct how people think about a concept like data and what they think is able to be done with them.

[3] Kitchin has defined it as framing data as "speedy (rapid insights), accessible (easily interpreted), revealing (extracting hidden knowledge), panoramic (all-seeing), prophetic (able to foresee and shape the future), and smart (possessing latent intelligence).

"[1] This imaginary treats data as a single social or economic resource akin to a product like oil, requiring an equivalent supporting infrastructure.

These can vary depending on individual priorities, as they are not as well established, but they tend to prioritize data justice and community-oriented politics.

[15] This imaginary is particularly concerned with the role of power and politics, seeing data as situated within "a complex assemblage that actively shapes their constitution" according to Rob Kitchin, a leading scholar in the field.