"We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom," Albert Einstein famously proclaimed. Today, quantification and measurement tools permeate every aspect of society, promising order and accountability. However, anthropologists Cris Shore and Susan Wright, in their thought-provoking book "Audit Culture," argue that this relentless pursuit of numerical justification can backfire, eroding trust and obscuring deeper truths.
Their book delves into the various ways auditing manifests across domains like education, healthcare, and academia. While providing an historical lens on the evolution of auditing practices, Shore and Wright paint a cautionary tale.
Quantification Gone Wrong:
- Distorted Priorities: Numerical rankings, once meant as mere tools, have become ends in themselves. State-funded schools in England, for example, were micromanaged by metrics, creating pressure on educators and compromising genuine learning.
- Conflicting Interests: The book exposes potential conflicts of interest within the auditing industry. When audit firms, accountable to clients rather than the public, assess companies they partner with, unbiased evaluation becomes questionable.
- Power Imbalances: Metrics empower those who control them. Ranking systems like PISA, while initially conceived by individuals, gain sway through powerful networks and their ability to "name, shame, or glorify" based on numerical scores.
The authors acknowledge the potential value of measurement but advocate for a more nuanced approach. Their suggestions aim to rebuild trust and shift perspective:
- Focus on Narrative: Metrics should complement, not replace, qualitative evaluation. Understanding individual journeys and motivations behind achievements is crucial.
- Emphasize Support: Evaluators should encourage improvement and provide resources to individuals or institutions falling short, fostering growth over punishment.
- Move Beyond Economics: Assessing organizations or individuals solely through an economic lens is shortsighted. We must value broader contributions and holistic development.
- Reimagine Transparency: Transparency shouldn't solely serve as a control mechanism. Audits should facilitate open dialogue and build trust between those being evaluated and evaluators.
Shore and Wright urge us to step back and critically examine the overreliance on metrics. While data and measurement hold undeniable value, their book serves as a powerful reminder that genuine progress requires wisdom, nuance, and human connection, which cannot be solely captured by numbers.
Their work calls for a collective effort to move beyond the "numbers game" and build a future where accountability coexists with trust, and quantification enhances, rather than overshadows, our understanding of the world around us.
