Week 2 — ThingsSOCI/ANTH 441 Material CultureAlexandre EnkerliSeptember 10, 2008

Today

•Material Culture•Texts•Object•Project

Online Content

•Readings▫Reserve

•Moodle site•Audio recording•Slides

Material

•Materia: matter•Physical object•Physics/chemistry/biology•Spatial dimensions, weight•“Sensible” (can be touched, smelled,

seen…)•Distinct form

Material to Material Culture

•Natural or human-made (trees to tables)•Real or imagined (trees and tables vs.

designs)•Matter turned into things through culture•“Material culture is that segment of man’s

physical environment which is purposely shaped by him according to a culturally dictated plan” (Deetz, James. 1977. In Small Things Forgotten. Anchor Press/Doubleday.)

Culture

•(Dant on)•Human specificity•Transmission of knowledge•Sophistication•Designed vs. natural

Wood

•Substance•Piece of wood•Object made of wood•“Wood in popular culture”•http://xkcd.com/446/

•Things (Generic)•Stuff (Unspecific)•Artefact (Made)•Goods/Commodities/Gifts (Exchange)•Icons (Symbolism)•Heirlooms (Transmission)•Trash/Garbage/Refuse (Useless)

Terms

Distinctions

•Objects (subjects)•Products (processes)•Goods (services)•Commodities (luxury goods)•Belongings (self)•Earthly possessions (essence)

Is It a Thing?

•Money•The subject of a painting•Music•Starship Enterprise•Food•GMO•Virtual Reality•Humans

Dant

Material Culture

•Empirical sociology•Object itself•Concrete•Daily experience

Car in Sociology

•Contrast to pedestrianism•Manufacturing•Car as tool

Theory Lip-Service

•Barthes and semiotics•Gibson's affordance•Actor-network•SST•SCOT•Sociology of science•Merleau-Ponty•Foucault

Humanness

•Intention (some built-in)•Mediation•Embodiment (Merleau-Ponty)•Sensory experience

Partly Human

•Non-human/human•“Assemblage”•“Hybrid”•“Cyborg”•Object-ivity•Co-dependency•Co-evolution•Social being

System

•Function together•More than sum of parts•Synergy•Cybernetics•Diversity of components

Moka Pots

•Schnapp topic•Through Myron Joshua•Approaching object•Among favourite objects•Lived with them

Depictions

•Swiss Clip•French Clip

Personal Response

•React to presence or depictions•Homeliness•Familiarity•Ritual•Culinary•Europeanness•Nostalgic•Timeless

Part of my Identity

•Known as user of moka pots▫Expertise▫Influence

•Unusual in context•“Sophisticated yet simple”•CoffeeGeek•Culinary enthusiast

My Moka Pots

•“Seasoned”•Hard to replace•Coffee smelling•Varied (sizes...)

Features

•Portable•Light•Sturdy•Inexpensive•Durable•“Low Tech”•Filterless

Composition/Construction

•Aluminum•Stainless steel versions•“Aluminum scare”

Variety

•Bialetti models•Sizes (in “demitasse” cups)•Material•Design•Brands•Evolution (Mukka, Brikka…)

Functioning

•Coffee brewing method•“Instructions” (put water in...)•Internal working (steam pressure…)•Maintenance

▫Proper “Seasoning” ▫“Sacrificial pot”

Espresso?

•“Poor man’s espresso?”•Not the right amount of pressure•No need for barista experience•Simpler technology•No crema•Different taste•Subpar espresso or superior home drink

Brikka

•Evolution on Moka Express design•Top-hat widget•Bialetti patent•Crema-like emulsion•Tastes more like espresso•CoffeeGeek forum•Myron Joshua

The Sociology and Anthropology of a "Thing"

Three parts

•Description of a Thing (20%, due October 1)▫Maximum 4000 words (about 8 pages)

•Presentation (30%, November 5—26)▫Presentation lasting 10 minutes, 5 minutes

of questions, outline of maximum 1500 words (about 3 pages)

•Final Paper (40%, Due December 5)▫Maximum 10000 words (about 20 pages)

Thing

•Open Choice▫Needs to be a physical object▫Non-human

•Advice▫Discrete (can point to it)▫Preferably human-made▫Preferably durable, unique

Number of words

•Don’t think in length•Don’t fill up•Approximate maximum•“Lorem Ipsum”•http://www.lipsum.com/

Marks

•IF: Insightful (goal)•OC: Original and Creative•HP: Honest and Personal•TR: Thoughtful and Reflexive (standard)•EX: Appropriate Examples•ED: Elaborate and Detailed•CSF: Concise and Straightforward

(decent)

Part I: Description of a “Thing”

•Due October 1•20% of the final grade•Maximum 4000 words (about 8 pages)•Assignment

▫Describe thing▫“Justify”▫Embed in social study▫Plan work

What the “thing” is•Object type (What kind of an object is it?)•Sensory (What does it look/feel/smell like?)•Construction (What is it made of?)•Function (What does it do? What is it used

for?)•History/genealogy/origin (Where did it come

from?)•Ecology/situatedness (How does it relate to

people and other objects?)•Social Contexts

Significance

•Anthropological/Sociological•Is it important?•Who is it important for? (Individuals,

groups, societies)•What does it mean?

Making sense

•Course material•Approaches•Literature

Plan

•How will you study it?•Resources•Primary sources•Secondary sources•Research methods

Giving You Ideas

•Dant▫New way to think about common object▫Human/non-human▫Extension of self▫Theoretical summary

•Schnapp▫Object and substance (materiality)▫Design▫Craftsmanship▫Domesticity

Next Week▫Tasters on social theory▫Classical approaches▫ANT and SI▫Latour’s Classic, recent SI