Anne Beaulieu - Böcker

Available open access digitally under CC BY-NC-ND licence. Do our tools for knowing about the world actually obscure important knowledge? This book uncovers how knowledge infrastructures—including satellite tracking, climate models, machine learning and citizen science apps—shape our understanding of contemporary crises. Rooted in logics of resource assessment, these systems often reinforce extractive thinking, even when intended to protect. Beaulieu calls for a radical focus on relations to reimagine liveable futures: from monitoring and measuring to fostering connection, care and interdependence. Drawing on science and technology studies and feminist critique, this book offers tools for transforming data practices, designing more responsive interfaces and building better infrastructures of survival.

Data and Society: A Critical Introduction investigates the growing importance of data as a technological, social, economic and scientific resource. It explains how data practices have come to underpin all aspects of human life and explores what this means for those directly involved in handling data.

The book

fosters informed debate over the role of data in contemporary society explains the significance of data as evidence beyond the "Big Data" hype spans the technical, sociological, philosophical and ethical dimensions of data provides guidance on how to use data responsibly includes data stories that provide concrete cases and discussion questions.

Grounded in examples spanning genetics, sport and digital innovation, this book fosters insight into the deep interrelations between technical, social and ethical aspects of data work.

Data and Society: A Critical Introduction investigates the growing importance of data as a technological, social, economic and scientific resource. It explains how data practices have come to underpin all aspects of human life and explores what this means for those directly involved in handling data.

The book

fosters informed debate over the role of data in contemporary society explains the significance of data as evidence beyond the "Big Data" hype spans the technical, sociological, philosophical and ethical dimensions of data provides guidance on how to use data responsibly includes data stories that provide concrete cases and discussion questions.

Grounded in examples spanning genetics, sport and digital innovation, this book fosters insight into the deep interrelations between technical, social and ethical aspects of data work.

This book presents a cross-disciplinaryapproach to smart grids, offering an invaluable basis for understanding theircomplexity and potential, and for discussing their technical, legal, economic, societal, psychologicaland security aspects.Smart grids are a complex phenomenon involving new, active roles for consumersand prosumers, novel social, political and cultural practices, advanced ICT,new markets, security of supply issues, the informational turn in energy,valuation of assets and investments, technological innovation and(de)regulation. Furthermore, smart grids offer new interfaces, in turn creatinghybrid fields: with the increasing use of electric vehicles and electrictransportation, smart grids represent the crossroadsof energy and mobility. While the aimis to achieve more sustainable production, transportation and use of energy, theimportance of smart grids actually has less to do with electricity, heat or gas,and far more with transforming the infrastructure needed to deliver energy, aswell as the roles of its owners, operators and users. The immediate goal is tocontribute positively to a sustainable world society.The chapters are revised and expanded texts based upon lecturesdelivered at the Groningen Energy Summer School 2014. Questions for furtherdiscussion at the end of each chapter highlight the key themes that emerge.The book offers an indispensable resource for researchers, professionals andcompanies in the power supply industry, and for students seeking to broaden anddeepen their understanding of smart grids.