Data Science Brown Bag Series: Social Science without Generalization?

Abstract from speaker: 

This talk begins with the increasingly appreciated Generalizability Crisis in the social sciences (particular when studying internet technologies and platforms). Can our results, from a particular context speak to larger, timeless issues across the world? I begin by reviewing some of the problems of generalization, including recent work on agnostic bounds in temporal validity. I bring everything together through a philosophical lens best expressed by mid-twentieth century field of Cybernetics, and motivated by the success of tech companies like Meta over the past two decades. I conclude with suggestions for the field in two directions: (i) cooperation with and regulation of online platforms and (ii) independent development of software that can help reorient social science towards real-world impact.

Bring your own lunch bag! Light pastries and drinks will be available in case you forget to bring it. 

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The Data Science Brown Bag Series is an informal and interactive gathering where participants bring their own brown bag lunch and engage in discussions on research and insights the field of data and computational social science (light pastries and drinks will be available if you forget your lunch bag!). 

The series provides a platform for data enthusiasts, researchers, and practitioners to share their experiences, best practices, and emerging methodologies and research in using data science to analyze and understand social and political phenomena. The brown bag talk series is for anyone interested in data science and social science to network, learn, and share ideas in a casual and friendly setting.