Xin Gu – författare

This book critically investigates the declining status of creative workers in contemporary societies following changes associated with the neoliberal creativity discourse – from the distribution of resources around cultural production to consumption, and from the management of ‘labour time’ to ‘life time’. These changes have narrowed career pathways for creative workers, resulting in exploitative working conditions for both professionals and amateurs. The contemporary cultural industries accentuate entrepreneurialism, informed by ‘social network markets’ and a capacity to engage technologised consumer culture. This book suggests that a radically different view is needed to understand how creative workers justify their continued participation in the cultural industries. It pays particular attention to the identities of marginalised cultural workers (underpaid or under-rewarded) and argues that cultural work cannot be understood as a route into entrapment by self-exploitation (sacrificial labour) nor as an abstract form of creative autonomy. Creative workers must engage the ‘artist critique’ to re-claim the social values of making culture as ‘public labour’. Bringing together theory and practice via contemporary case studies, this book is a significant contribution to research on the cultural economy and will be of interest to researchers in this field and practitioners in the management of cultural work.

This book critically investigates the declining status of creative workers in contemporary societies following changes associated with the neoliberal creativity discourse – from the distribution of resources around cultural production to consumption, and from the management of ‘labour time’ to ‘life time’. These changes have narrowed career pathways for creative workers, resulting in exploitative working conditions for both professionals and amateurs. The contemporary cultural industries accentuate entrepreneurialism, informed by ‘social network markets’ and a capacity to engage technologised consumer culture. This book suggests that a radically different view is needed to understand how creative workers justify their continued participation in the cultural industries. It pays particular attention to the identities of marginalised cultural workers (underpaid or under-rewarded) and argues that cultural work cannot be understood as a route into entrapment by self-exploitation (sacrificial labour) nor as an abstract form of creative autonomy. Creative workers must engage the ‘artist critique’ to re-claim the social values of making culture as ‘public labour’. Bringing together theory and practice via contemporary case studies, this book is a significant contribution to research on the cultural economy and will be of interest to researchers in this field and practitioners in the management of cultural work.

Facial recognition technology is one of the defining surveillance technologies of our time, and as the technology continues to develop it is urgently important to consider the ways in which it amplifies and reconfigures power relations.While much of the critical work on facial recognition technology has focused on bias and accuracy, this book considers the social, cultural, and political implications of a surveillance technology poised to dramatically transform our experience of anonymity in shared and public space. Drawing on a series of case studies to explore how existing logics of digital surveillance are transformed when physical space is equipped with automated recognition, the book develops several defining concepts for understanding what this level of surveillance means for strategies of governance and control. Long the object of physiognomic calculations, the face, as subjected to automated forms of data collection, is now already being used to predict everything from people's future career success to their potential for criminality. Further, as the authors show, as "smart" cameras proliferate, society moves into a post-panoptic realm in which people are actually being watched all the time. This shift from surveillance scarcity to glut allows "pattern-of-life" analysis on a mass scale, aiding in the customization of both physical and informational environments at the level of the individual and enabling the ongoing replacement of human-to-human interactions with automated human-to-machine ones – a process the authors describe as a "social recession."

Facial recognition technology is one of the defining surveillance technologies of our time, and as the technology continues to develop it is urgently important to consider the ways in which it amplifies and reconfigures power relations.While much of the critical work on facial recognition technology has focused on bias and accuracy, this book considers the social, cultural, and political implications of a surveillance technology poised to dramatically transform our experience of anonymity in shared and public space. Drawing on a series of case studies to explore how existing logics of digital surveillance are transformed when physical space is equipped with automated recognition, the book develops several defining concepts for understanding what this level of surveillance means for strategies of governance and control. Long the object of physiognomic calculations, the face, as subjected to automated forms of data collection, is now already being used to predict everything from people's future career success to their potential for criminality. Further, as the authors show, as "smart" cameras proliferate, society moves into a post-panoptic realm in which people are actually being watched all the time. This shift from surveillance scarcity to glut allows "pattern-of-life" analysis on a mass scale, aiding in the customization of both physical and informational environments at the level of the individual and enabling the ongoing replacement of human-to-human interactions with automated human-to-machine ones – a process the authors describe as a "social recession."

This book brings together multiple strands of debate around the cultural creative industries and contemporary capitalism, China’s position in global capitalism, the future of modernity and new ways of thinking about culture and cultural policy.  Clearly written and engaging, it is the first study to provide a critical lens on creative industries discourse and to bring it together with detailed historical and social analysis.It analyses the ongoing development of China’s cultural industries, examining the institutions, regulations, interests and markets that underpin the Chinese cultural economy and the strategic position of Shanghai within that economy. Explores cultural policy reforms in post-colonial China and articulates Shanghai’s significance in paving China’s path to modernity and entry to global capitalism. In-depth and illuminating, this book situates China’s contemporary cultural economy in its larger global and historical context, revealing the limits of Western thought in understanding Chinese history, culture and society.This book is aimed at a broad, educated audience who seek to engage more with what is happening in China, especially in the cultural field. It tries to take such an audience outside the standard frame of Western modernity, suggesting the possibility of different historical trajectories and possibilities. Because the book is theoretical and empirical in its approach, it will be of strong interest to both those interested in Chinese cultural policy and the creative industries approach generally. Cultural and creative industries is an increasingly important subject area in Higher Education, with undergraduate and postgraduate programs representing some of the fastest growing areas in arts, humanities and social science faculties. This audience is increasingly global, as this policy debate has now moved outside the Western countries whose economic competitiveness it was meant to promote. It is an agenda promoted by agencies such as UNESCO, UNCTAD, the World Bank, British Council and the Goethe Institute.Primary readership will be academics with a particular interest in Chinese culture, cultural studies, media studies, public policy and management studies, cultural policy, East Asian studies and cultural policy researchers. It will also be relevant to all those interested in China and Chinese’s culture; and those interested in the history of Shanghai and the role it plays in contemporary Chinese culture and politics.  Given the current interest in China, it may also be of wider appeal too.

This book brings together multiple strands of debate around the cultural creative industries and contemporary capitalism, China’s position in global capitalism, the future of modernity and new ways of thinking about culture and cultural policy.  Clearly written and engaging, it is the first study to provide a critical lens on creative industries discourse and to bring it together with detailed historical and social analysis.It analyses the ongoing development of China’s cultural industries, examining the institutions, regulations, interests and markets that underpin the Chinese cultural economy and the strategic position of Shanghai within that economy. Explores cultural policy reforms in post-colonial China and articulates Shanghai’s significance in paving China’s path to modernity and entry to global capitalism. In-depth and illuminating, this book situates China’s contemporary cultural economy in its larger global and historical context, revealing the limits of Western thought in understanding Chinese history, culture and society.This book is aimed at a broad, educated audience who seek to engage more with what is happening in China, especially in the cultural field. It tries to take such an audience outside the standard frame of Western modernity, suggesting the possibility of different historical trajectories and possibilities. Because the book is theoretical and empirical in its approach, it will be of strong interest to both those interested in Chinese cultural policy and the creative industries approach generally. Cultural and creative industries is an increasingly important subject area in Higher Education, with undergraduate and postgraduate programs representing some of the fastest growing areas in arts, humanities and social science faculties. This audience is increasingly global, as this policy debate has now moved outside the Western countries whose economic competitiveness it was meant to promote. It is an agenda promoted by agencies such as UNESCO, UNCTAD, the World Bank, British Council and the Goethe Institute.Primary readership will be academics with a particular interest in Chinese culture, cultural studies, media studies, public policy and management studies, cultural policy, East Asian studies and cultural policy researchers. It will also be relevant to all those interested in China and Chinese’s culture; and those interested in the history of Shanghai and the role it plays in contemporary Chinese culture and politics.  Given the current interest in China, it may also be of wider appeal too.

This book responds to the lack of Asian representation in creative cities literature. It aims to use the creative cities paradigm as part of a wider process involving first, a rapid de-industrialisation in Asia that has left a void for new development models, resulting in a popular uptake of cultural economies in Asian cities;

This book responds to the lack of Asian representation in creative cities literature. It aims to use the creative cities paradigm as part of a wider process involving first, a rapid de-industrialisation in Asia that has left a void for new development models, resulting in a popular uptake of cultural economies in Asian cities;

This textbook provides a comprehensive exploration of fintech management, offering a structured approach to understanding the dynamic intersection of finance, technology, and innovation. It covers key aspects such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital banking, cryptocurrency, and financial regulations. The book is tailored for business and finance students, as well as professionals seeking to upskill in the rapidly evolving financial technology sector.The book integrates theoretical frameworks, industry insights, and practical applications, making it relevant for both academic institutions and industry practitioners. The inclusion of real-world case studies, data-driven analyses, and hands-on exercises enhances the learning experience and prepares students for careers in fintech-related fields.

This book summarizes the application of soft computing techniques, machine learning approaches, deep learning algorithms and optimization techniques in geoengineering including tunnelling, excavation, pipelines, etc.