Algorithmic Regimes

Algorithms have risen to become one, if not the central technology for producing, circulating, and evaluating knowledge in multiple societal arenas. In this book, scholars from the social sciences, humanities, and computer science argue that this shift has, and will continue to have, profound implications for how knowledge is produced and what and whose knowledge is valued and deemed valid. To attend to this fundamental change, the authors propose the concept of algorithmic regimes and demonstrate how they transform the epistemological, methodological, and political foundations of knowledge production, sensemaking, and decision-making in contemporary societies. Across sixteen chapters, the volume offers a diverse collection of contributions along three perspectives on algorithmic regimes: the methods necessary to research and design algorithmic regimes, the ways in which algorithmic regimes reconfigure sociotechnical interactions, and the politics engrained in algorithmic regimes.

Jarke Juliane :

Juliane Jarke is Professor of Digital Societies at the University of Graz. Her research attends to the increasing importance of digital data and algorithmic systems in the public sector, education and for ageing populations. She received her PhD in Organisation, Work and Technology from Lancaster University and has a background in computer science, philosophy and STS.Prietl Bianca :

Bianca Prietl is Professor for Gender Studies with a Focus on Digitalization at University of Basel. Her main area of expertise is feminist technoscience studies, with her more recent work focusing on the interrelations of knowledge, power, and gender in the context of (digital) datafication.Egbert Simon :

Simon Egbert, PhD, is a postdoc researcher at the faculty of sociology of Bielefeld University, working in the research project ‘The Social Consequences of Algorithmic Forecast in Insurance, Medicine and Policing’ (ERC grant agreement No. 833749). His research interests are science and technology studies, algorithm studies, sociology of testing and sociology of the future.Boeva Yana :

Yana Boeva is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Social Sciences and the Cluster of Excellence “Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture (IntCDC)”, University of Stuttgart. Her research explores the transformation of design, architectural practice, and different user expectations of computation and automation.Heuer Hendrik :

Hendrik Heuer, Dr., is a senior researcher at the University of Bremen. His research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction and Machine Learning. Currently, he is working on ways to fight misinformation. He studied and worked in Bremen, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Amsterdam and was a visiting postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard UniversityArnold Maike :

Maike Arnold is a research associate at the KRITIS research training group and the Institute of Philosophy at TU Darmstadt. Their research focuses on trust in testimony in the context of critical decision making, especially concerning critical infrastructures and in the context of the algorithmization of information technology systems.

“I’ve been waiting for a book like this. Both comprehensive and novel, it explores algorithms from a wide range of perspectives and angles. An almost endless source of insights, this book moves debates about algorithms forward on a number of fronts. It’s a text that will help us to come to terms with the ongoing automation of the social world.”
— David Beer, Professor of Sociology, University of York

“This insightful collection of essays delves into the intricate landscapes of algorithmic regimes, offering valuable perspectives on the connections between new modes of algorithmic knowledge production, decision-making, and the social dynamics at play. A must-read for anyone seeking to navigate the complex terrain of algorithmic power and its impact on our lives.”
— Taina Bucher, Professor in Media and Communication, University of Oslo

"Algorithmic Regimes: Methods, Interactions, and Politics is an insightful and stimulating collection that addresses the increasing presence of algorithms in our societies. It brings together concepts and methods from a broad set of disciplines, and the encounter between these perspectives makes for a thought-provoking read. I highly recommend this book to students and researchers who want to know more about algorithmic regimes and how to study them, in particular those who are looking to broaden their horizons beyond their own discipline."
— Bernhard Rieder, Associate Professor of New Media and Digital Culture, University of Amsterdam

"The rampant spread of algorithms has shifted the focus of research from technological issues to social impact. The concept of algorithmic regimes proposes a much required conceptual frame for addressing this development and its many challenges. This book will be a highly relevant reference for all research on the digitized society."
— Elena Esposito, Professor of Sociology, Bielefeld University and University of Bologna

"Algorithmic Regimes offers a great starting point for understanding how existing theories can be applied to contemporary technology."
-Lina Rahm and Jörgen Behrendtz,Postdigital Science and Education, vol. 43, 2024