chapter overview

chapter overview#

learning objectives#

This section builds on the previous ones to clean and analyze data, using data from current anti-trans legisation as an example. First, participants will clean and transform raw data using string methods into an analyzable, structured format in a spreadsheet. Then, they will analyze and visualize this data using the pandas library. Finally, they will explore different methods for text generation using the transformers library for machine learning.

This section introduces

  • string methods for working with text data

  • how to write custom functions for automating tasks

  • the pandas libary for working with tabular data

  • the transformers library for generating text

anti-trans legislation#

The past couple of years have seen an explosion in anti-trans legislation that restricts basic rights and recognition for trans people. In 2023, more than 500 bills were proposed that prevent trans people from using bathrooms, playing in sports, accessing healthcare, and more in ways that accord with their gender identity. Of those 500 proposals across state legislatures, 87 passed. Compare that number with last year, 2022, 174 bills were proposed, and 26 passed. See the Trans Legislation Tracker for more information.

Python environments#

There are many ways to use Python. For this workshop, we will be using Jupyter-Notebooks, installed through the Python Anaconda distrubtion. This option is convenient because it creates a “local” version of Python directly on your computer, which means you can use it in mutiple ways and without an internet connection.

For those of you who cannot download Python, you can use Google Colab, a browser-based tool for running Python code. Like Google Docs, Google Colab creates a collaborative environment hosted on the Google cloud for authoring content. Whereas most Python environments require installations (some of which can be really complicated), Google Colab offers Python software pre-installed on the cloud environment. It enables new users to jump right into programming.

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