WHAT DO YOU HAVE THERE!!
Enviado por jaquiorlando • 19 de Junio de 2013 • 2.264 Palabras (10 Páginas) • 605 Visitas
False Numbers as Formalizing Practices
Martha Lampland
Series Editor: Damien Fennell
1
The support of The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is gratefully acknowledged.
The work was part of the programme of the AHRC Contingency and Dissent in Science.
Published by the Contingency And Dissent in Science Project
Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science
The London School of Economics and Political Science
Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE
Copyright © Martha Lampland 2009
ISSN 1750-7952 (Print)
ISSN 1750-7960 (Online)
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be issued to
the public or circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.
2
False Numbers as Formalizing Practices
By Martha Lampland
Editor’s Note
Lampland’s paper draws our attention to the fact that numbers are used in many ways in science and policy, ways
that need not rely on their meanings being stable and transferable, independent of context. Specifically, she argues
that numbers are used in ways that are ‘false’ yet beneficial for certain social practices. She distinguishes between
provisional numbers, whose usefulness is as a provisional instrument for strategy and planning, and false numbers,
where accuracy may be knowingly sacrificed to serve other goals. Her argument is developed using engaging and
persuasive case studies. The paper is an important contribution to understanding ways numerical claims can be
contingent, dependent on context, and valuable – even if not straightforwardly ‘accurate.’
Abstract
It will be argued that assuming the effective use of numbers depends upon their veracity
obscures crucial social processes at the heart of modernizing practices, such as rationalization
and standardization. Recognizing false and provisional numbers are useful tools forces us to
investigate when and where social practices require these curious implements, i.e. under what
conditions and for what purposes people craft a number for the moment: as a provisional index,
as a temporary sign. Rather than subvert the ostensible purpose of fixed representation, I argue
that provisional and false numbers make stability and fixity in representation possible as a final
result
Introduction
The purpose of numbers varies, as does their meaning. Adept use of numbers depends upon a
clear understanding of what they are doing, and why, in any particular situation. Then what do
the numbers in the following two stories mean?
At a meeting of faculty and administrative staff at a West Coast university held
several years ago, a debate arose about the viability of a number in a long-range
planning document, specifically in relation to the number of parking spaces on
campus. Faculty expressed concern about the number being planned, in light of
university expectations that the student population would grow substantially.
After several rounds of questioning, a senior administrative official finally
blurted out in exasperation, ‘It's just a false number, o.k.?’ This immediately
3
silenced the faculty, and the committee proceeded to review the rest of the
planning document.
On April 7th, 1953, the accountant of the Red Star Cooperative Farm in [western
Hungary] challenged her fellow accountants in the county to participate in a
competition in honor of May 1st. She set the terms of the competition, including
having one's books up to date, posting monthly advances distributed to farm
members, and appraising the membership of plan targets and actual items
realized at each quarterly meeting. Officials from a neighboring district
responded by nominating X.Y., whose accounting practices were deemed to
satisfy the terms advertised. Ten features of her accounting practice were
described, covering a range of tasks from recording expenses, earnings, and
members' [pay] advances, providing data to higher agencies, and keeping
cooperative farm leaders and members aware of their financial situation. The
first two characteristics of her award-winning accounting practices warrant
citation: ‘1) She keeps the books up to date with minor inadequacies, and 2) she
prepared the financial plan by the deadline, although not entirely in accord with
reality.’ (Gy-M-S. M. GYL. tanács.vb 31-34-1./953, 1953.május 29.)1
Two stories, two numerical discrepancies:
...