The speaker speaks online.
Abstract:
This talk revisits the concept of the “dark sides of DH” as a lens for examining persistent structural issues in digital humanities. Originally focused on neoliberalism, these debates revealed discomfort with DH’s institutional positioning and perceived lack of critical engagement. Internally, DH is often seen as a progressive force, yet may be blinded by vocational awe—the uncritical belief in its intrinsic virtue—which can obscure systemic inequalities. These concerns, still as relevant today as when the topic of “dark sides” was first discussed, reflect entrenched disparities inherited from academia and the tech industry. Issues including limited engagement with AI ethics, data gaps, language diversity, and the marginalisation of feminist perspectives, despite their potential to address structural imbalances still persist today. Furthermore, the dominance of AI and other computational (rather than “just digital”) methods narrows the scope of what is considered legitimate research in the field, limiting potential for more inclusive representation. It is a naive assumption that good people will know how to act ethically because this requires skills and tools. This talk highlights practical strategies to address current challenges, drawing on dataset audits and the forthcoming ZfdG Working Paper on Data Feminism from the AG Empowerment group. Grounded in critical archival studies, these initiatives offer accessible approaches for promoting more equitable, inclusive practices in DH.
Short bio:
Sarah Lang is Head of Digital Humanities at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (Berlin). Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Information Modelling at the University of Graz. Trained in History and Classics in Graz and Montpellier, she completed a PhD on early modern alchemical literature in 2021, combining Digital Humanities and the history of science, for which she received the Bader Prize of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.As convenor of the Empowerment Working Group of the German Digital Humanities Association (DHd), where she is also on the board of directors, Sarah Lang is interested in issues like (gender) data gaps, data feminism, diversity in DH, decolonizing data, data ethics and related topics.