Understanding Data, Culture and Society
- Pieter Verdegem - University of Westminster
- What was the 'data revolution', and how did it happen?
- How will AI change our societies?
We live in the age of datafication: every aspect of our lives has been captured and transformed into data, from our sleeping patterns and step counts to our buying habits and political views. In this exciting new textbook, you will discover the intricate ways in which data and society are interwoven. Explaining key concepts such as 'big data' and putting theory into practice throughout, this book will make you a better expert in data and society, offering an interdisciplinary overview of a rapidly evolving field. This textbook tackles the implications of big data for democracy, identity and the global economy, showing how we cannot view our lives as separate from the technologies we have come to rely on. With learning objectives, case studies, further reading and extra resources provided in each chapter, this book is the ideal companion for students in the digital humanities and social sciences looking to deepen their understanding of data, culture and society.
Topics covered include:
- capitalism in the age of data
- democracy and politics
- identity and subjectivity
- machine learning and AI
- journalism and disinformation
How should we understand the relationship between data, culture and society? In this ambitious and comprehensive textbook, Pieter Verdegem provides an accessible entry-point into a set of complex debates on current digital developments. From capitalism to subjectivity, and from labour to justice, this is an invaluable book for any scholar wanting to understand the challenges of data infrastructures and what can be done about them.
Pieter Verdegem has written an accessible, enjoyable, and essential book. Anchored in political economy but in dialogue with neighboring disciplines, it makes a strong and provocative case for critically analyzing our everyday relations with data-driven technologies. It also illuminates recent debates on disinformation, mass surveillance, the rise of AI systems, and the gig economy. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding—and challenging—the powerful actors shaping digital technology in our contemporary societies.
Pieter Verdegem draws connections between concepts in technology, culture, and society with clarity and verve. Ranging from data journalism to data justice, campaigns to citizenship, this book covers all of the foundational knowledge that students need to think critically about and understand data and culture in today’s world.
