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- Tim Dant
- University of East Anglia
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- knowledge as a property of the material forms of things and bodies=
li>
- not of only of
- 1) mind, imagination
- 2) discourse
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- knowledge in bodily action:
- ‘An individual can communicate, without even intending to, by an
exemplary action. The swimmer swims and communicates how swimming is
done, demonstrating knowledge of swimming. Demonstration requires an
interpreter or ‘reader’ who by their discursive action of attemptin=
g to
understand the action as an abstraction sees more than just a body
moving through the water.’ (Dant 1991: 202)
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- Mauss: ‘techniques of the body’
- change in technique over time
- ‘In my day swimmers thought of themselves as a kind of steam-boat. =
It
was stupid, but in fact I still do this: I cannot get rid of my
technique.’ (Mauss: 1973: 71)
- knowledge of swimming as a property of the body
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- artefacts: knowledge embedded through design and manufacture
- intention to fit with certain embodied practices
- ‘natural’ objects often shaped directly or indirectly by human
intentions
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- object has to be ‘read’ to discover suitable actions
- chest of drawers: handles, opening, containers
- cardboard boxes: temporary container, temporary closure
- bits on the floor: sides, knobs, fixings
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- reading objects to act on them
- embodied knowledge about how to ‘read’ and ‘act on’ self-assembly
furniture
- reading objects for how they might fit
- an instruction sheet!
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- little or no language
- ‘read’ by linking diagrams to objects
- objects and actions:
- distinct objects
- direction
- sequence
- instruction sheet makes up for shortfall of embodied and embedded
knowledge
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replacing a timing belt
- technicians seldom use diagrams
- objects ‘read’ by visual and haptic senses
- knowledge embedded in objects and embodied in technician
- timing belt uncertain; risk of damage to engine
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- the pump belt
- is floppy: has no ‘memory’
- draws diagram of sequence
- the timing belt
- checks manual (haptic)
- paints marks on sprockets and engine
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- assembly instructions, diagrams, inscriptions
- mobile:
- able to be moved, independent of the object(s) referred to
- immutable:
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- depends on knowledge embedded in object, embodied in person
- stable relationship between mobile and object
- printing as more immutable than inscription
- simplified, ‘optical consistency’
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- ‘Although in principle any interpretation can be opposed to any text=
and
image, in practice this is far from the case…’ (Latour 1986: 18)
- technicians (and DIYer) prefers to avoid immutable mobile
- reading object directly reduces variation in interpretation
- ‘strategic’ use of immutable mobile
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- interaction with objects requires match between embodied knowledge a=
nd
embedded knowledge
- immutable mobile as a ‘bridge’ in knowledge gap (e.g. with floppy
objects)
- usually artefacts ‘know’ how to fit together (made that way)
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