It’s Understandable If It Destroys You, Right?—Grades, Students’ Self-Images, and Quantification

Abstract

Human life is increasingly quantified. From blood pressure to body mass index, from likes and retweets to performance metrics at work, from IQ results to facial attractiveness scores issued by smartphone apps. Many of these numbers have the potential to substantially shape how individuals view themselves, and yet the link between quantification and self-image is to date not well understood. My window into this phenomenon is one of the most ubiquitous and influential metrics worldwide: the school grade. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in a German comprehensive school, I explore how students’ self-images are shaped by their numbers. Comparing students’ official and unofficial remarks reveals a striking contrast between a seemingly detached stance toward marks and a powerful feeling of being defined by them—notably with regards to “intelligence.” Nevertheless, rather than passively identifying with their grades, especially low-performing students draw on a wide range of strategies in an effort to negotiate their self-image in light of their numbers.