Description

Book Synopsis
Do numbers have a life of their own or do we give them meaning? How do data play a role in constructing people’s perceptions of the world around them? How far can we trust numbers to speak truth to power? The COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique moment to answer these questions. This book examines how politicians, experts and journalists gave meaning to data through the story of seven iconic numbers from the pandemic. Shedding light on a new dawn of data, this book makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the relationship between numbers, meaning and society.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction 2. Data bounds Are Reinforced by Policy 3. Quantitative Realism Underpins Data Bounds 4. Quantitative Realism is Mathematical and Abstract 5. Desire for Data Bounds Underpins Quantitative Realism 6. Data Bounds Are Emotive 7. Data Boundaries Are Drawn Within Historical Norms 8. Critically Engaging with Data Bounds Afterword References

The Life of a Number: Measurement, Meaning and

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    A Hardback by B.T. Lawson

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      Book details

      Publisher Bristol University Press
      Published 28 April 2023
      ISBN-13 9781529225334
      978-1529225334
      ISBN-10 1529225337
      Also in:
      Communication studies Media studies Impact of science and technology on society

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Do numbers have a life of their own or do we give them meaning? How do data play a role in constructing people’s perceptions of the world around them? How far can we trust numbers to speak truth to power? The COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique moment to answer these questions. This book examines how politicians, experts and journalists gave meaning to data through the story of seven iconic numbers from the pandemic. Shedding light on a new dawn of data, this book makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the relationship between numbers, meaning and society.

      Table of Contents
      1. Introduction 2. Data bounds Are Reinforced by Policy 3. Quantitative Realism Underpins Data Bounds 4. Quantitative Realism is Mathematical and Abstract 5. Desire for Data Bounds Underpins Quantitative Realism 6. Data Bounds Are Emotive 7. Data Boundaries Are Drawn Within Historical Norms 8. Critically Engaging with Data Bounds Afterword References

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