The measurement of social value -- Status competition and the power of numbers -- Hierarchization: rankings and ratings -- classification : scoring and screening -- The evaluation cult: stars and points -- The quantified self: charts and graphs -- The power of nomination -- Risks and side-effects -- Transparency and discipline -- The inequality regime of quantification.
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"In today's world, numbers are in the ascendancy. Societies dominated by star ratings, scores, likes and lists are rapidly emerging, as data are collected on virtually every aspect of our lives. From annual university rankings, ratings agencies and fitness tracking technologies to our credit score and health status, everything and everybody is measured and evaluated. In this book, Steffen Mau offers a critical analysis of this increasingly pervasive phenomenon. While the original intention behind the drive to quantify may have been to build trust and transparency, Mau shows how metrics have in fact become a form of social conditioning. The ubiquitous language of ranking and scoring has changed profoundly our perception of value and status."--book cover