I was printing out some articles for my English class today when I began to consider the idea of my printer as a thing. My printer scripts movements. It orders the user to press the ‘on’ button, unfold the tray, and load the paper. The printer requires that you cater to its needs before it will fulfill yours. The printer, as a technology, highlights a sort of fragile dependency that exists between it and the user. There are certain expectations that exist on both sides. However, when the user neglects part of the set up routine or the printer does not print the correct material, the relationship degrades. It is at this point when ‘orders’ turn into ‘blandishments.’ As the user is no longer bound by the relationship of functionality, their actions will only be ‘implied.’
This is a really cool way to look at a printer. I never really thought of the relationship we as humans have with a printer. Now that I am thinking about it, especially as students, we have almost a dependency on printers for success.
Im goig to preface my comment with the fact that i am not attempting to be a critic but I don't really understand or buy into the readings that discussed how things script our motions and how they are somehow more involved than objects. Anything that has a purpose or a function is designed to be interacted with in some way. I don't think that that makes a thing special. I personally would rather focus on the politics or implications of that objects existence and purpose and what it can tell us about the people who used it. To me treating an object as if it is a person and trying to find deep meanings in the process of using it seems to be overthinking things.
When I was at work this morning, I looked at our old school, landline phone differently. I didn’t just glance at it without a thought as I have been doing for the past four years. I gazed at it for a longer period of time and for the first time saw it as an object that I appreciated. I saw it as an object, rather than a thing because it requires manually punching in numbers in order to use it. I also saw this phone as a symbol of evolution of technology. I appreciated this phone because it allows me to contact people when I need to, but does not allow me to get caught up in the distractions of today’s smartphones that often cause stress and anxiety. The phone is simple, and for that I appreciate it.
I often think about smartphones as being distractions as well, like you mentioned. I mean, yes they were probably created to make communication easier and faster, but is that really what they serving as now? I feel, in context of society, phones have developed politics. I think the politics is that those who can afford it are probably the ones who pose a challenge to people in higher positions, so they should be distracted by something and technology is the best way to do that. Distraction hides behind the idea of convenience.
I like how you discussed the landline phone as something that is perhaps better than the smartphones we have today. I completely agree that we, as a society, get caught up in the complexity of the smartphones that we have practically glued to the palms of our hands. It's such a refreshing idea to think that perhaps these old school phones, though less advanced technologically, were possibly better for us. I have a love-hate relationship with smartphones and feel that this conversation is an important one to be having!!
I am interning at the UC davis medical center in the pediatric unit and so it was interesting to go there and work after doing the readings about wheelchairs because a lot of kids I work with do have something to help their mobility such as a wheel chair or a wagon they like to be pulled around in. These kids already have so few choices about their lives as the doctors control pretty much everything but it was interesting for me to see how the things happening in the article also happened in the pediatric unit. The kids in wheel chairs would be moved without being asked, kids who had IV carts would be forced to follow along wherever their IV thing was wheeled and no one ever really asked them about what they wanted to do or where they wanted to go even during their play times. I tried to make a conscious effort to start asking their permission to move their wheel chairs or their IV carts and most of the kids seemed very surprised when I did. (keep in mind that some of them aren't even five yet so an adult asking them for permission for anything is probably strange).
One boy in particular took advantage of my willingness to give him control over his own mobility. He liked to be pulled around in a wagon although he could walk and so he directed me and told me where to pull him, how fast i should go and exactly how to "operate" his wagon.
The fact that these children are already so limited by their health and even more restricted by their "assistive" technology breaks my heart. This is definitely an instance where it would be so beneficial for the children to be able to decorate or personalize their assisstive technology and mobilizers. Since they are not given much freedom or say so in anything else in their lives, they deserve to have a creative and expressive outlet of some sort, and personalizing their equipment could really help do this. It would also be a symbolic representation that their disabilities and restrictions to not constrict their emotions, interests and imagination.
One of the objects I've been thinking about a lot is glasses. In class we talked about how glasses are becoming a fashion statement now. Since, now we use the glasses without it's original function I wonder if they are objects or things? Also, I definitely see politics behind prescription glasses because they tend to be expensive and someone who is poor or has no insurance usually can't afford them. But when it comes to glasses being a fashion statement I don't see the politics behind it. So, I would say glasses gain politics depending on how they are used and what they are made for. Similar to the NY bridges, which have a reversal in politics. They were built because of politics but now they serve a method of travel/ technology because now most of all people have cars. If someone doesn't have a car they can use a taxi to get to those areas. However, someone who is poor might not be able to afford spending money on a taxi. But overall, I think inherent politics can change to no politics and vice versa depending on the context and time.
I found your focus on the duality of glasses interesting. I think an exploration of glasses requires an examination of the original intention the user had for the glasses. Were they bought out of a desire for form or function?
I agree with you, glasses used as a sole fashion statement is rather odd, and that to a person who can't afford glasses this may seem a little down putting. I would have to say though that in the places that glasses are worn as fashion most people around them would have enough money for their own glasses or receive enough assistance where they could buy them, so like everything it just depends on the context.
I recently wrote a paper for my TCS class on the QWERTY. For those of you who do not know, this is the keyboard that is currently attached to the device on which you are reading this post. Today, for the first time, I began to think of the keyboard as a object. In my research, I learned an immense about of information on what I had thought was "an easy topic." Turns out, the QWERTY, like most objects in our society, was controversial, radical for its time, full of politics, and a significant influence on history. I had not thought of the keyboard in this way until taking this AMS course. As I type now on the QWERTY, I think of all of the different people who tried to invent this machine, the numerous designs and redesigns that this layout went through, and how this object has evolved to be both impactful and political in our society today.
This is a really informative perspective on QWERTY and the keyboard. It's especially insightful to think of it as an object in society's use. I think a good idea would to also touch on the concept of it being a "thing" and how the keyboard may also embody those qualities other than just being a sort of "entity" of sorts.
I never really thought about the politics of a QWERTY keyboard, but its invention must've been full of political decisions. I heard the positioning of the keys was based on frequency of use in English, so that would definitely impact the demographics of consumers. The keyboard also definitely scripts actions, to the point that sometimes when I imagine a word, I visualize a typing it out on a keyboard.
There are few consistencies in my everyday life as a student here in Davis, from deciding whether or not I’m going to eat breakfast in the morning to remembering if I showered the day or night before (and figuring out if I need to in that moment). However, come this quarter, I was allowed the privilege of bringing a favorite of mine from home - my Xbox. As of late, I’ve been able to play each night up until midnight, while on weekends, I stay up until about five in the morning, so long as I’ve got friends online to play with. The only game I’m able to play is Overwatch, a team-based, multiplayer, first-person shooter. What comes with this technology and its ability to function is the necessity to interact with it. As a video game, it requires contact, command, and control from the user in order for it meet its peak ability, much like the saccharin sparrow in first week’s reading. Both objects “required an intimate entanglement between body and object” (De la Pena, 509). While the sparrow served an inconvenient purpose, both it and the Xbox, in a way, exemplify a sort of luxury - something that served a certain purpose as well as display a certain quality about the user. While I’m not self-centered enough to say that my console represents some sort of elitist quality about me, it certainly does show something about what my family and I can afford and what conveniences we can allow ourselves the pleasure for.
Madison, It is a good connection you made that an object requires entanglement between body and object. It is amazing how an object can engage a user and take up so much time due to the constant engagement it requires, especially the xbox. I also agree that the xbox alludes to a sort of luxury which can give it politic.
Earlier this week I had a doctor’s appointment for an ongoing issue I have been having with my knee. The doctor encouraged me to ice, elevate and to continue to do physical therapy exercises. She also prescribed me to wear a knee brace during all physical activity to prevent further tearing of cartilage in my knee which would impair me from continuing to play softball. I immediately related this instance to the idea of assistive technologies; a technology that improves or increases capabilities of the human body which may be assistive, adaptive and rehabilitative. The idea of the knee brace allowed me to continue to play softball while without it, my physical abilities could be impaired. The experience I have had with the brace so far has made me think about the reading “Pimp my Wheelchair” by Emily Smith. The literature talks about personalizing wheelchairs to invite people to stare at something which creates a comfort level that creates a normalization and less machine like. Within the few days of wearing the brace, I have already had many instances which people just stare at the brace which made me relate to this reading in some ways.
Andrea, I am sorry to hear about your recent news of your knee but what an amazing thing that technology is, it can provide you with a knee brace to continue playing the sport that you love. I like how you related it to the reading "Pimp my Wheelchair". I think you should "Pimp your knee brace" to express yourself through that. I loved reading about individuals who used their bionics or wheelchairs as a way to express themselves.
Andrea! I hope your knee is feeling better. When I first started reading this post I was confused on how you would relate the doctor's appointment to any of our readings. I thought the connection was great and I do see that it is sort of a temporary similar experience of the assistive technology.
Before I took this class, Ive always seen technology as just technology with the specific meaning of what it provided. Such as, a phone allowing us to communicate with each other, or a television to entertain us, or our cars take us from point A to point B. But after just a few lectures from this class and learning about Objects vs. Things I've realized that all of the technological objects I just named have a lot more meaning and purpose than I've ever given them credit for. My car for instance has allowed me to transport to my two most important locations that are an hour within each other. Without my car, I would miss out on family events that I could not get back. It has given me appreciation and meaning to it. My car is no longer just an object but it has become social to me.
Hi Taylor. After reading your post I have additionally realized how without the technology of our cars, we would not be able to transport to our daily activities in life. We do not realize how dependent we are on our cars until incidents occur such as a break down or running out of fuel. Our cars help us to see our family and friends and things that are most important to us. I now realize that cars do have a social impact on us and affect our everyday lives.
Taking this course has certainly changed the way that I see and understand objects. The idea that technology is not just electronics, but any sort of object that has provided mankind with more accessibility, assistance and convenience, has resonated with me. I have begun to more deeply appreciate the objects and things that I own. According to Bernstein in Dances With Things, an object is "a chunk of matter that one looks through or beyond to understand something human" (p.69), while a thing "scripts actions and asserts itself within a field of matter" (p.69). I now seem to tend to engage more with my things and admire my objects. I feel like I now differentiate my things and objects from each other, and like said earlier, it has made my appreciation for my belongings and their functions grow stronger.
Because technology has advanced immensely in the twentieth century, I believe that society has taken for granted the simple technologies that were first created and are still used on a daily basis. One of the these technologies is a watch. Our busy lives revolve around constantly checking the time every hour and making sure we are on time to our next daily event. However, we rarely appreciate the technologies that help us keep track of our daily lives such as a watch. Watches are often for fashion or fitness purposes now, however, little do people think about how their lives would be changed if we did not have technology to keep track of time. This technology of tracking time through watches reminded me of the readings we did about Things vs. Objects. The watch is a "thing" because it script people and their daily lives, even if one may not know it.
I agree. In my personal experience,I constantly check the time on my phone. I have watches but I never wear them, because I have my phone with me. There have been so many times where my phone has run out of charge and at those moments, I wish I made watch wearing more of a habit!
YES! Its funny because I wear a watch all the time and sometimes even with that I will still check my phone. I think that we have just become so dependent on instant gratification that a watch even as simple as it is have even become too much work for our brains to figure out. Sadly.
Yesterday I was washing old dishes in the lab I intern with, we do genetic testing with vanilla plants. In the pile of dishes was a petri dish. If you're not familiar with lab practices a petri dish is a small glass plate used to cultivate cells, normally bacteria or fungus. I had never paid much attention to them in school, only what they housed and how the specimens were doing. I only looked at the "science" side of the dish. However when I was washing away whatever test had been conducted in the dish I realized that this dish was like a little world to itself, whatever was in there had never known anything but the petri dish and was completely unaware of sun and water and dirt. I suppose it is just bacteria who would normally not have think about such existential things, but the thought stuck around in my head. To us the world (or universe?) is our petri dish, it's all we really know, and even that can change in an instant, just like me washing away the bacteria. If anything it's good perspective to know where we are and what we're doing, that way we can better evaluate why we do the things we do. In his essay Winner talks about people's desire for new objects and technology to get ahead socially and politically. It should be a wake-up call to everyone to assess what they're doing, why they're doing it, and if in the end it will be worth it, because life on earth won't last forever, better make it count.
That's pretty profound. It's easy to lose perspective and forget about the world that we live in. It is pretty interesting to use the bacteria in a petri dish to think philosophically rather than purely scientifically.
To further expand, do you think we would be able to use scientific principles and outlines to conduct biological experiments to study philosophical principles and political dilemmas, and perhaps to try and shape decisions based on both science and philosophy?
This week, Jimmy Fallon had several guests on his show who are involved in robotics. They presented their incredible inventions to the audience, but the one stood out to me was Sophia, a robot that is made to look human. Sophia is essentially a highly advanced piece of technology. She not only looks human, but also conveys human-like expressions and can hold a conversation. Sophia is a glimpse into our future and the advancement of artificial intelligence, and so it was unsettling to see that her creators decided to dress her in an ensemble that resembles something from the 1900s. It was strange to see such an advanced piece of technology wearing clothes that are not only are outdated, but also perpetuate an outdated view of what is feminine. Today in lecture, we discussed how due to a lack of women in STEM, technology is mostly created and controlled by men, even when the technology is relevant to women. In this case, it is at the very least ironic that a robot that is meant to portray a realistic human female would be created by men. Even when I looked at the Hanson Robotics website, the company that created Sophia, she is touted as the world’s most beautiful robot. The technology that makes Sophia possible has the potential for so many great advancements, but her beauty is presented as the focal point. This made me think about how the creation of technology is greatly influenced by its creators, which may isolate or perpetuate stereotypes about certain users of that technology. Artificial intelligence is supposed to mimic the human experience, but it is difficult to do that when AI is mainly created by one demographic.
This week I had gone out to eat with some of my friends and upon ordering my food I decided to choose the item of a plate. It is something so simple yes useful in todays society in america. The politics behind a plate. Dish ware in general is something that may once have been only for nobility. The thought of eating off of a ceramic or glass dish may be a thing only of Kings. In todays world anyone and everyone eats off of a plate and they now even come in paper form. The way we use a plate is sometimes overlooked. Restaurants may even plate food delicately to be presented on. It has become an object for everyday use, for culinary presentation, and for display as some homes may have dish ware kept away only for viewing as an art piece.
A couple of days ago, I bought some food. In order to pay for the food that I bought, I handed the cashier a ten dollar bill. While I handed him the bill, I started thinking about the small piece of paper. I realized that I had handled bills like this for a big chunk of my life, and that I had never really put any thought into what it was that I was exchanging for goods. I started thinking about the value of bills. What makes a ten dollar bill more valuable than a one dollar bill, other than that we decided that it was? A dollar bill itself has few practical functions other than being spent, yet people exchange these bills for goods and services that have much more practical value.
I always thought about how a piece of paper could be equivalent to buying foods and other objects. It is definitely convenient to have a uniform form of currency that is universally desired within the country. If paper money wasn't invented and accepted ubiquitously, the only viable alternative that I could think of is to use the barter system, but that system itself isn't as efficient as paper money because the barter system still leaves room for the seller not wanting to accept the buyer's form of payment no matter how much the buyer has. Paper currency is definitely something that holds more value than the physical material that is used to make the currency.
Don't call me a geek but I love musicals. In one of my favorite musicals, Wicked, Elphaba, the "wicked" witch of the west has a sister (Nessa) who is in a wheelchair. For those who have never even heard of Wicked, it is basically a musical that tells the backstory to the not so wicked. Nessa goes to dance with someone who was in love with someone else. When he tries to tell her the truth, she automatically assumes he does not love her because of her wheelchair. This relates the the reading written by Emily Smith. Having a wheelchair can give one the feeling of embarrassment, just as Smith's mother was, "so hesitant to incorporate technologies into her lifestyle." Having a wheelchair can indeed cause one to be embarrassed, but Smith's article maybe leads to a solution to this. Decorating one's wheelchair can help with the awkward stares and maybe help with the feeling of this embarrassment. Maybe if Nessa decorated her wheelchair, she might feel better and accept herself more.
I like that you related Nessa's feelings about her wheelchair to the reading. In both examples, they are embarrassed of their disabilities, but, in the reading, they found a way to possibly make a difference. Maybe if Nessa had thought of this she would not have assumed that the person she was with had a problem with her wheelchair.
Recently one of my friends invited me to be a part of a new club that he’s thinking of creating. This club obtains prosthetic models from an online database where engineers post their models and use these models as the basis for the club to print. When Megan presented the video about children receiving 3D printed prosthetics to the class, I got to see exactly what my friend’s club is going to accomplish. These children don’t see this 3D printed prosthetic simply as just an object, but similar to Smith’s interpretation of the wheelchair, receiving a new prosthetic is the equivalent of receiving a new body. The user would interact with the prosthetic for a long period of time so the individual would want the new “extension” of their body to be just the way they would like it. This video got me to think of the process of how the children would choose or even like the prosthetic given to them. In Smith’s article for example there was a child who was only presented with an unsuitable wheelchair thus receiving wounds as a consequence and the same can be said to the children who are going to use the 3D printed prosthetic. Another thing that intrigued me was the importance of the visual presentation of the object to the user which was the major points of “Pimp My Wheelchair”. I completely overlooked one of the most crucial facets of an object, how the user and other people see the object as something they want to interact with. The importance of function may be important, but other factors such as looks also plays almost an equivalent role.
I thought this was very interesting. I really liked how detailed you were describing this. I also really liked that you connected this to the "Pimp My Wheelchair" reading.
I tried looking at stuff a little differently this week in preparation for this blog post. Mainly, I was trying to distinguish whether stuff was a “object” or a “thing”. After taking a look at my phone, TV, window, etc., I realized that I treat my car like a thing rather than an object. When I’m driving in my car, it becomes an extension of myself. Driving becomes second nature. I don’t think of how to turn the steering wheel or whether to press the break or the gas, I just do it. When I want to turn right, my car turns right. When want to stop, the car stops. This comes from years and years of repetition. The car started as an object, a means to an end (the destination), but as transformed into a thing. My car and I have a relationship that is necessary for the way I use it.
The thing I thought about this week was my phone. I thought about how something like a phone could reveal a lot about who we are. The type of phone we have can reveal our socioeconomic status. The way we dress our phones (cases, stickers, etc.) can reveal something about our personality. I also thought about how and why do we use our phones and what that could say about us. (For example: Is the phone you're using purely for business, personal purposes, or both? If you're a student do you use your phone for educational purposes?That made me think of the cultural and social effects of phones. People often argue that phones are changing how we communicate because we often communicate through call, text, or social media. The phone is a useful tool that can reveal a lot about who we are.
I often have similar ideals about the purposes of our phones and how a phone can tell so much of a person. I also think phone can be used for a political purpose as well, having our phones shows us upcoming government policies; overall it makes us aware of what is politically happening. I really liked how you emphasized how a phone is essential to the owners personality and what their life is consisted of.
I chose to look at an object that is ubiquitous in my line of work, the wine glass. I realized that the wine glass is actually a thing, as it is a vessel for scripting bodily movements and interacting with the user in a meaningful way that affects both the mind and the soul, the apollonian and Dionysian balance. Depending on the contents of the vessel, and the vessel itself, different aromatic and sensory characteristics can be highlighted. For a white wine, a tall and thinner profile confers the elegance of the lighter fruit flavors and body; a red wine requires a glass with a wider opening, a heftier vessel opens the wine’s more intense dark fruit and tannic overtones into the larger headspace of the glass that requires larger and more dramatic swirls from the user. The usage of the wine glass is differential, the dosage can infer different states, as can the contents delivered in the clearly defined yet clear and smooth curved surfaces of the wine glass.
I ordered food at a restaurant the other day and noticed the waiter used some type of specialized electronic tablet to record my group's orders. Seeing him use a tablet greatly changed my thoughts on ordering. I assumed the tablet sent our orders to the kitchen as they were typed in, but couldn't possibly know if weather or not he was just writing down our orders or not. But seeing him take our orders on a tablet made me assume that the service would be faster and more efficient. Just by using technology the restaurant gave its customers the perception of faster service, whether or not the tablets actually sped up taking orders.
This is interesting because I go to restaurants a lot and I remember the first time I saw the tablet being used to take down orders. I was thinking the same exact thing about how services really can be a lot faster when using technology. I feel that technology is being so advanced nowadays.
When thinking about objects and the things that I actually pay close attention to, I realized that I pay more attention to the bigger or more noticeable things that I have and tend to forget about the small things. For example, thinking about my toothbrush. It is something so small, yet so useful. If I did not have the toothbrush, then I would find it hard to function throughout the day. I would feel like I would not be able to talk to anyone, make friends, be clean, etc. In class we talk about objects being political, and I feel it is interesting because I can’t seem to find an object that is not political. Everything that i encounter has some sort of use whether it is big or small and it just goes to show that even the little things matter.
I never really put a lot of thought into the true importance into a laptop, all I know is that I use it everyday for like 12 hours. I always saw a laptop as a necessity, but never truly realized the aspects it has. My laptop as a object allow me to do work, resulting to complete homework assignments. I use my laptop as a political object because it allows individuals to be exposed to politics and upcoming government affairs. My laptop is used as a social object because through my laptop I am able to use computer applications: FaceTime, Skype, and Facebook. Through these social media applications I'm able to communicate with friends and family. Socializing through technology; socializing through my laptop. I always saw my laptop as an object needed, but it is also an political and social object allowing me to communicate with the outer world.
The importance of my headphones is significant. I use them to create an internal world filled with my own thoughts and meanings. The creativity in the music I hear or the podcast I put on determines the state of my mind at the moment. I think that this is very cool because this piece of technology shapes our inner world and the way we move though the physical world when we wear it. My headphones are something I wear especially when I want to concentrate on things that interest me rather than the things around me, which can tell you quite a bit of the introversion someone who wears headphones has... which is just a personality characteristic that this technology hones.
I was printing out some articles for my English class today when I began to consider the idea of my printer as a thing. My printer scripts movements. It orders the user to press the ‘on’ button, unfold the tray, and load the paper. The printer requires that you cater to its needs before it will fulfill yours. The printer, as a technology, highlights a sort of fragile dependency that exists between it and the user. There are certain expectations that exist on both sides. However, when the user neglects part of the set up routine or the printer does not print the correct material, the relationship degrades. It is at this point when ‘orders’ turn into ‘blandishments.’ As the user is no longer bound by the relationship of functionality, their actions will only be ‘implied.’
ReplyDeleteThat's a cool perspective on printers. I never thought of printers as a thing and I like how you related it to Bernstein's idea of a 'thing'.
DeleteThis is a really cool way to look at a printer. I never really thought of the relationship we as humans have with a printer. Now that I am thinking about it, especially as students, we have almost a dependency on printers for success.
DeleteIm goig to preface my comment with the fact that i am not attempting to be a critic but I don't really understand or buy into the readings that discussed how things script our motions and how they are somehow more involved than objects. Anything that has a purpose or a function is designed to be interacted with in some way. I don't think that that makes a thing special. I personally would rather focus on the politics or implications of that objects existence and purpose and what it can tell us about the people who used it. To me treating an object as if it is a person and trying to find deep meanings in the process of using it seems to be overthinking things.
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ReplyDeleteWhen I was at work this morning, I looked at our old school, landline phone differently. I didn’t just glance at it without a thought as I have been doing for the past four years. I gazed at it for a longer period of time and for the first time saw it as an object that I appreciated. I saw it as an object, rather than a thing because it requires manually punching in numbers in order to use it. I also saw this phone as a symbol of evolution of technology. I appreciated this phone because it allows me to contact people when I need to, but does not allow me to get caught up in the distractions of today’s smartphones that often cause stress and anxiety. The phone is simple, and for that I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI often think about smartphones as being distractions as well, like you mentioned. I mean, yes they were probably created to make communication easier and faster, but is that really what they serving as now? I feel, in context of society, phones have developed politics. I think the politics is that those who can afford it are probably the ones who pose a challenge to people in higher positions, so they should be distracted by something and technology is the best way to do that. Distraction hides behind the idea of convenience.
DeleteI like how you discussed the landline phone as something that is perhaps better than the smartphones we have today. I completely agree that we, as a society, get caught up in the complexity of the smartphones that we have practically glued to the palms of our hands. It's such a refreshing idea to think that perhaps these old school phones, though less advanced technologically, were possibly better for us. I have a love-hate relationship with smartphones and feel that this conversation is an important one to be having!!
DeleteI am interning at the UC davis medical center in the pediatric unit and so it was interesting to go there and work after doing the readings about wheelchairs because a lot of kids I work with do have something to help their mobility such as a wheel chair or a wagon they like to be pulled around in. These kids already have so few choices about their lives as the doctors control pretty much everything but it was interesting for me to see how the things happening in the article also happened in the pediatric unit. The kids in wheel chairs would be moved without being asked, kids who had IV carts would be forced to follow along wherever their IV thing was wheeled and no one ever really asked them about what they wanted to do or where they wanted to go even during their play times. I tried to make a conscious effort to start asking their permission to move their wheel chairs or their IV carts and most of the kids seemed very surprised when I did. (keep in mind that some of them aren't even five yet so an adult asking them for permission for anything is probably strange).
ReplyDeleteOne boy in particular took advantage of my willingness to give him control over his own mobility. He liked to be pulled around in a wagon although he could walk and so he directed me and told me where to pull him, how fast i should go and exactly how to "operate" his wagon.
The fact that these children are already so limited by their health and even more restricted by their "assistive" technology breaks my heart. This is definitely an instance where it would be so beneficial for the children to be able to decorate or personalize their assisstive technology and mobilizers. Since they are not given much freedom or say so in anything else in their lives, they deserve to have a creative and expressive outlet of some sort, and personalizing their equipment could really help do this. It would also be a symbolic representation that their disabilities and restrictions to not constrict their emotions, interests and imagination.
DeleteOne of the objects I've been thinking about a lot is glasses. In class we talked about how glasses are becoming a fashion statement now. Since, now we use the glasses without it's original function I wonder if they are objects or things? Also, I definitely see politics behind prescription glasses because they tend to be expensive and someone who is poor or has no insurance usually can't afford them. But when it comes to glasses being a fashion statement I don't see the politics behind it. So, I would say glasses gain politics depending on how they are used and what they are made for. Similar to the NY bridges, which have a reversal in politics. They were built because of politics but now they serve a method of travel/ technology because now most of all people have cars. If someone doesn't have a car they can use a taxi to get to those areas. However, someone who is poor might not be able to afford spending money on a taxi. But overall, I think inherent politics can change to no politics and vice versa depending on the context and time.
ReplyDeleteI found your focus on the duality of glasses interesting. I think an exploration of glasses requires an examination of the original intention the user had for the glasses. Were they bought out of a desire for form or function?
DeleteI agree with you, glasses used as a sole fashion statement is rather odd, and that to a person who can't afford glasses this may seem a little down putting. I would have to say though that in the places that glasses are worn as fashion most people around them would have enough money for their own glasses or receive enough assistance where they could buy them, so like everything it just depends on the context.
DeleteI recently wrote a paper for my TCS class on the QWERTY. For those of you who do not know, this is the keyboard that is currently attached to the device on which you are reading this post. Today, for the first time, I began to think of the keyboard as a object. In my research, I learned an immense about of information on what I had thought was "an easy topic." Turns out, the QWERTY, like most objects in our society, was controversial, radical for its time, full of politics, and a significant influence on history. I had not thought of the keyboard in this way until taking this AMS course. As I type now on the QWERTY, I think of all of the different people who tried to invent this machine, the numerous designs and redesigns that this layout went through, and how this object has evolved to be both impactful and political in our society today.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really informative perspective on QWERTY and the keyboard. It's especially insightful to think of it as an object in society's use. I think a good idea would to also touch on the concept of it being a "thing" and how the keyboard may also embody those qualities other than just being a sort of "entity" of sorts.
DeleteI never really thought about the politics of a QWERTY keyboard, but its invention must've been full of political decisions. I heard the positioning of the keys was based on frequency of use in English, so that would definitely impact the demographics of consumers. The keyboard also definitely scripts actions, to the point that sometimes when I imagine a word, I visualize a typing it out on a keyboard.
DeleteThere are few consistencies in my everyday life as a student here in Davis, from deciding whether or not I’m going to eat breakfast in the morning to remembering if I showered the day or night before (and figuring out if I need to in that moment). However, come this quarter, I was allowed the privilege of bringing a favorite of mine from home - my Xbox. As of late, I’ve been able to play each night up until midnight, while on weekends, I stay up until about five in the morning, so long as I’ve got friends online to play with. The only game I’m able to play is Overwatch, a team-based, multiplayer, first-person shooter. What comes with this technology and its ability to function is the necessity to interact with it. As a video game, it requires contact, command, and control from the user in order for it meet its peak ability, much like the saccharin sparrow in first week’s reading. Both objects “required an intimate entanglement between body and object” (De la Pena, 509). While the sparrow served an inconvenient purpose, both it and the Xbox, in a way, exemplify a sort of luxury - something that served a certain purpose as well as display a certain quality about the user. While I’m not self-centered enough to say that my console represents some sort of elitist quality about me, it certainly does show something about what my family and I can afford and what conveniences we can allow ourselves the pleasure for.
ReplyDeleteMadison,
DeleteIt is a good connection you made that an object requires entanglement between body and object. It is amazing how an object can engage a user and take up so much time due to the constant engagement it requires, especially the xbox. I also agree that the xbox alludes to a sort of luxury which can give it politic.
Earlier this week I had a doctor’s appointment for an ongoing issue I have been having with my knee. The doctor encouraged me to ice, elevate and to continue to do physical therapy exercises. She also prescribed me to wear a knee brace during all physical activity to prevent further tearing of cartilage in my knee which would impair me from continuing to play softball. I immediately related this instance to the idea of assistive technologies; a technology that improves or increases capabilities of the human body which may be assistive, adaptive and rehabilitative. The idea of the knee brace allowed me to continue to play softball while without it, my physical abilities could be impaired. The experience I have had with the brace so far has made me think about the reading “Pimp my Wheelchair” by Emily Smith. The literature talks about personalizing wheelchairs to invite people to stare at something which creates a comfort level that creates a normalization and less machine like. Within the few days of wearing the brace, I have already had many instances which people just stare at the brace which made me relate to this reading in some ways.
ReplyDeleteAndrea,
DeleteI am sorry to hear about your recent news of your knee but what an amazing thing that technology is, it can provide you with a knee brace to continue playing the sport that you love. I like how you related it to the reading "Pimp my Wheelchair". I think you should "Pimp your knee brace" to express yourself through that. I loved reading about individuals who used their bionics or wheelchairs as a way to express themselves.
Andrea! I hope your knee is feeling better. When I first started reading this post I was confused on how you would relate the doctor's appointment to any of our readings. I thought the connection was great and I do see that it is sort of a temporary similar experience of the assistive technology.
DeleteBefore I took this class, Ive always seen technology as just technology with the specific meaning of what it provided. Such as, a phone allowing us to communicate with each other, or a television to entertain us, or our cars take us from point A to point B. But after just a few lectures from this class and learning about Objects vs. Things I've realized that all of the technological objects I just named have a lot more meaning and purpose than I've ever given them credit for. My car for instance has allowed me to transport to my two most important locations that are an hour within each other. Without my car, I would miss out on family events that
ReplyDeleteI could not get back. It has given me appreciation and meaning to it. My car is no longer just an object but it has become social to me.
Hi Taylor. After reading your post I have additionally realized how without the technology of our cars, we would not be able to transport to our daily activities in life. We do not realize how dependent we are on our cars until incidents occur such as a break down or running out of fuel. Our cars help us to see our family and friends and things that are most important to us. I now realize that cars do have a social impact on us and affect our everyday lives.
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ReplyDeleteTaking this course has certainly changed the way that I see and understand objects. The idea that technology is not just electronics, but any sort of object that has provided mankind with more accessibility, assistance and convenience, has resonated with me. I have begun to more deeply appreciate the objects and things that I own. According to Bernstein in Dances With Things, an object is "a chunk of matter that one looks through or beyond to understand something human" (p.69), while a thing "scripts actions and asserts itself within a field of matter" (p.69). I now seem to tend to engage more with my things and admire my objects. I feel like I now differentiate my things and objects from each other, and like said earlier, it has made my appreciation for my belongings and their functions grow stronger.
ReplyDeleteBecause technology has advanced immensely in the twentieth century, I believe that society has taken for granted the simple technologies that were first created and are still used on a daily basis. One of the these technologies is a watch. Our busy lives revolve around constantly checking the time every hour and making sure we are on time to our next daily event. However, we rarely appreciate the technologies that help us keep track of our daily lives such as a watch. Watches are often for fashion or fitness purposes now, however, little do people think about how their lives would be changed if we did not have technology to keep track of time. This technology of tracking time through watches reminded me of the readings we did about Things vs. Objects. The watch is a "thing" because it script people and their daily lives, even if one may not know it.
ReplyDeleteI agree. In my personal experience,I constantly check the time on my phone. I have watches but I never wear them, because I have my phone with me. There have been so many times where my phone has run out of charge and at those moments, I wish I made watch wearing more of a habit!
DeleteYES! Its funny because I wear a watch all the time and sometimes even with that I will still check my phone. I think that we have just become so dependent on instant gratification that a watch even as simple as it is have even become too much work for our brains to figure out. Sadly.
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ReplyDeletewhoops forgot some stuff lol
DeleteYesterday I was washing old dishes in the lab I intern with, we do genetic testing with vanilla plants. In the pile of dishes was a petri dish. If you're not familiar with lab practices a petri dish is a small glass plate used to cultivate cells, normally bacteria or fungus. I had never paid much attention to them in school, only what they housed and how the specimens were doing. I only looked at the "science" side of the dish. However when I was washing away whatever test had been conducted in the dish I realized that this dish was like a little world to itself, whatever was in there had never known anything but the petri dish and was completely unaware of sun and water and dirt. I suppose it is just bacteria who would normally not have think about such existential things, but the thought stuck around in my head. To us the world (or universe?) is our petri dish, it's all we really know, and even that can change in an instant, just like me washing away the bacteria. If anything it's good perspective to know where we are and what we're doing, that way we can better evaluate why we do the things we do. In his essay Winner talks about people's desire for new objects and technology to get ahead socially and politically. It should be a wake-up call to everyone to assess what they're doing, why they're doing it, and if in the end it will be worth it, because life on earth won't last forever, better make it count.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty profound. It's easy to lose perspective and forget about the world that we live in. It is pretty interesting to use the bacteria in a petri dish to think philosophically rather than purely scientifically.
DeleteTo further expand, do you think we would be able to use scientific principles and outlines to conduct biological experiments to study philosophical principles and political dilemmas, and perhaps to try and shape decisions based on both science and philosophy?
DeleteThis week, Jimmy Fallon had several guests on his show who are involved in robotics. They presented their incredible inventions to the audience, but the one stood out to me was Sophia, a robot that is made to look human. Sophia is essentially a highly advanced piece of technology. She not only looks human, but also conveys human-like expressions and can hold a conversation. Sophia is a glimpse into our future and the advancement of artificial intelligence, and so it was unsettling to see that her creators decided to dress her in an ensemble that resembles something from the 1900s. It was strange to see such an advanced piece of technology wearing clothes that are not only are outdated, but also perpetuate an outdated view of what is feminine. Today in lecture, we discussed how due to a lack of women in STEM, technology is mostly created and controlled by men, even when the technology is relevant to women. In this case, it is at the very least ironic that a robot that is meant to portray a realistic human female would be created by men. Even when I looked at the Hanson Robotics website, the company that created Sophia, she is touted as the world’s most beautiful robot. The technology that makes Sophia possible has the potential for so many great advancements, but her beauty is presented as the focal point. This made me think about how the creation of technology is greatly influenced by its creators, which may isolate or perpetuate stereotypes about certain users of that technology. Artificial intelligence is supposed to mimic the human experience, but it is difficult to do that when AI is mainly created by one demographic.
ReplyDeleteThis week I had gone out to eat with some of my friends and upon ordering my food I decided to choose the item of a plate. It is something so simple yes useful in todays society in america. The politics behind a plate. Dish ware in general is something that may once have been only for nobility. The thought of eating off of a ceramic or glass dish may be a thing only of Kings. In todays world anyone and everyone eats off of a plate and they now even come in paper form. The way we use a plate is sometimes overlooked. Restaurants may even plate food delicately to be presented on. It has become an object for everyday use, for culinary presentation, and for display as some homes may have dish ware kept away only for viewing as an art piece.
ReplyDeleteA couple of days ago, I bought some food. In order to pay for the food that I bought, I handed the cashier a ten dollar bill. While I handed him the bill, I started thinking about the small piece of paper. I realized that I had handled bills like this for a big chunk of my life, and that I had never really put any thought into what it was that I was exchanging for goods. I started thinking about the value of bills. What makes a ten dollar bill more valuable than a one dollar bill, other than that we decided that it was? A dollar bill itself has few practical functions other than being spent, yet people exchange these bills for goods and services that have much more practical value.
ReplyDeleteI always thought about how a piece of paper could be equivalent to buying foods and other objects. It is definitely convenient to have a uniform form of currency that is universally desired within the country. If paper money wasn't invented and accepted ubiquitously, the only viable alternative that I could think of is to use the barter system, but that system itself isn't as efficient as paper money because the barter system still leaves room for the seller not wanting to accept the buyer's form of payment no matter how much the buyer has. Paper currency is definitely something that holds more value than the physical material that is used to make the currency.
DeleteDon't call me a geek but I love musicals. In one of my favorite musicals, Wicked, Elphaba, the "wicked" witch of the west has a sister (Nessa) who is in a wheelchair. For those who have never even heard of Wicked, it is basically a musical that tells the backstory to the not so wicked. Nessa goes to dance with someone who was in love with someone else. When he tries to tell her the truth, she automatically assumes he does not love her because of her wheelchair. This relates the the reading written by Emily Smith. Having a wheelchair can give one the feeling of embarrassment, just as Smith's mother was, "so hesitant to incorporate technologies into her lifestyle." Having a wheelchair can indeed cause one to be embarrassed, but Smith's article maybe leads to a solution to this. Decorating one's wheelchair can help with the awkward stares and maybe help with the feeling of this embarrassment. Maybe if Nessa decorated her wheelchair, she might feel better and accept herself more.
ReplyDeleteI like that you related Nessa's feelings about her wheelchair to the reading. In both examples, they are embarrassed of their disabilities, but, in the reading, they found a way to possibly make a difference. Maybe if Nessa had thought of this she would not have assumed that the person she was with had a problem with her wheelchair.
DeleteRecently one of my friends invited me to be a part of a new club that he’s thinking of creating. This club obtains prosthetic models from an online database where engineers post their models and use these models as the basis for the club to print. When Megan presented the video about children receiving 3D printed prosthetics to the class, I got to see exactly what my friend’s club is going to accomplish. These children don’t see this 3D printed prosthetic simply as just an object, but similar to Smith’s interpretation of the wheelchair, receiving a new prosthetic is the equivalent of receiving a new body. The user would interact with the prosthetic for a long period of time so the individual would want the new “extension” of their body to be just the way they would like it. This video got me to think of the process of how the children would choose or even like the prosthetic given to them. In Smith’s article for example there was a child who was only presented with an unsuitable wheelchair thus receiving wounds as a consequence and the same can be said to the children who are going to use the 3D printed prosthetic. Another thing that intrigued me was the importance of the visual presentation of the object to the user which was the major points of “Pimp My Wheelchair”. I completely overlooked one of the most crucial facets of an object, how the user and other people see the object as something they want to interact with. The importance of function may be important, but other factors such as looks also plays almost an equivalent role.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was very interesting. I really liked how detailed you were describing this. I also really liked that you connected this to the "Pimp My Wheelchair" reading.
DeleteI tried looking at stuff a little differently this week in preparation for this blog post. Mainly, I was trying to distinguish whether stuff was a “object” or a “thing”. After taking a look at my phone, TV, window, etc., I realized that I treat my car like a thing rather than an object. When I’m driving in my car, it becomes an extension of myself. Driving becomes second nature. I don’t think of how to turn the steering wheel or whether to press the break or the gas, I just do it. When I want to turn right, my car turns right. When want to stop, the car stops. This comes from years and years of repetition. The car started as an object, a means to an end (the destination), but as transformed into a thing. My car and I have a relationship that is necessary for the way I use it.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I thought about this week was my phone. I thought about how something like a phone could reveal a lot about who we are. The type of phone we have can reveal our socioeconomic status. The way we dress our phones (cases, stickers, etc.) can reveal something about our personality. I also thought about how and why do we use our phones and what that could say about us. (For example: Is the phone you're using purely for business, personal purposes, or both? If you're a student do you use your phone for educational purposes?That made me think of the cultural and social effects of phones. People often argue that phones are changing how we communicate because we often communicate through call, text, or social media. The phone is a useful tool that can reveal a lot about who we are.
ReplyDeleteI often have similar ideals about the purposes of our phones and how a phone can tell so much of a person. I also think phone can be used for a political purpose as well, having our phones shows us upcoming government policies; overall it makes us aware of what is politically happening. I really liked how you emphasized how a phone is essential to the owners personality and what their life is consisted of.
DeleteI chose to look at an object that is ubiquitous in my line of work, the wine glass. I realized that the wine glass is actually a thing, as it is a vessel for scripting bodily movements and interacting with the user in a meaningful way that affects both the mind and the soul, the apollonian and Dionysian balance. Depending on the contents of the vessel, and the vessel itself, different aromatic and sensory characteristics can be highlighted. For a white wine, a tall and thinner profile confers the elegance of the lighter fruit flavors and body; a red wine requires a glass with a wider opening, a heftier vessel opens the wine’s more intense dark fruit and tannic overtones into the larger headspace of the glass that requires larger and more dramatic swirls from the user. The usage of the wine glass is differential, the dosage can infer different states, as can the contents delivered in the clearly defined yet clear and smooth curved surfaces of the wine glass.
ReplyDeleteI ordered food at a restaurant the other day and noticed the waiter used some type of specialized electronic tablet to record my group's orders. Seeing him use a tablet greatly changed my thoughts on ordering. I assumed the tablet sent our orders to the kitchen as they were typed in, but couldn't possibly know if weather or not he was just writing down our orders or not. But seeing him take our orders on a tablet made me assume that the service would be faster and more efficient. Just by using technology the restaurant gave its customers the perception of faster service, whether or not the tablets actually sped up taking orders.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting because I go to restaurants a lot and I remember the first time I saw the tablet being used to take down orders. I was thinking the same exact thing about how services really can be a lot faster when using technology. I feel that technology is being so advanced nowadays.
DeleteThis is super interesting because i too go out to eat and seeing technology would make me assume the same thing; efficiency.
DeleteWhen thinking about objects and the things that I actually pay close attention to, I realized that I pay more attention to the bigger or more noticeable things that I have and tend to forget about the small things. For example, thinking about my toothbrush. It is something so small, yet so useful. If I did not have the toothbrush, then I would find it hard to function throughout the day. I would feel like I would not be able to talk to anyone, make friends, be clean, etc. In class we talk about objects being political, and I feel it is interesting because I can’t seem to find an object that is not political. Everything that i encounter has some sort of use whether it is big or small and it just goes to show that even the little things matter.
ReplyDeleteI never really put a lot of thought into the true importance into a laptop, all I know is that I use it everyday for like 12 hours. I always saw a laptop as a necessity, but never truly realized the aspects it has. My laptop as a object allow me to do work, resulting to complete homework assignments. I use my laptop as a political object because it allows individuals to be exposed to politics and upcoming government affairs. My laptop is used as a social object because through my laptop I am able to use computer applications: FaceTime, Skype, and Facebook. Through these social media applications I'm able to communicate with friends and family. Socializing through technology; socializing through my laptop. I always saw my laptop as an object needed, but it is also an political and social object allowing me to communicate with the outer world.
ReplyDeleteThe importance of my headphones is significant. I use them to create an internal world filled with my own thoughts and meanings. The creativity in the music I hear or the podcast I put on determines the state of my mind at the moment. I think that this is very cool because this piece of technology shapes our inner world and the way we move though the physical world when we wear it. My headphones are something I wear especially when I want to concentrate on things that interest me rather than the things around me, which can tell you quite a bit of the introversion someone who wears headphones has... which is just a personality characteristic that this technology hones.
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