The human in multiple, hybrid topologies

HUMAN REMAINSTHE PLACE OF THE HUMAN IN A POST-HUMAN WORLDPresentation for 4th Nordic Geographers’ Meeting, Roskilde University, 24-27.05.2011

Connie Svabo, PhD, Assistant ProfessorSpace, Place, Mobility and Urban Studies (MOSPUS) Research Unit& Centre for Experience Research (COF)Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change (ENSPAC) Roskilde University (RUC)

Mediation, multiplicity, topology

• Mediation is the process of linking entities, making connections– Concept from Latour, inspired by Serres

• Multiplicity is the idea that in social reality multiple orders, logics and patterns are at play simultaneously– Concept from Law & Mol, inspired by Serres

• Topology is ’the science of proximities and ongoing or interrupted transformations’– Concept Bingham & Thrift, Mol & Law, Latour, Serres

Naturama

• Museum of natural history• 65.000 annual visits• 50% of visitors are under 18

• Association of visitors and exhibition

• 14 months, several later re-visits• Observation

– 39 days, 21 days in exhibition, the rest in offices

– written notes, audio recordings, video recordings, use of spy-wear camera glasses

• Interviews– 26 on-site visitor interviews + staff

interviews• Focus increasingly on children and

youngsters

Method: ethnographic fieldwork

Fellow visitors

Exhibition

visitor

phone camera

visitor

animal costume

visitor

exercise pamphlet

Multiple, hybrid topologiesand the human in the midst, betwixt and

between, at midpoint, intersection, hub, junction, shift, flicker, fluid, gossamer, gauzy, thin, delicate, fibrous, flimsy, sheer, airy, shimmer, sparkle, blitz, diffusion interference, interruption, clamor and hubbub