Today, as I looked at my design kit with all of the items, I realized that the design kit was originally just an object. I had no idea what all of the tools and gadgets for and thought of it as an object that had no value to me. It wasn't until the first day of design class that I realized just how important the kit is to me and how valuable each thing is or what they are capable of creating. I didn't really think about how the design kit had started off as an object and had eventually turned into a thing. Each piece of paper, cutting knife, transfer paper, cutting board, paint brush, sketching pencil, and paint tube has value to me and is so much more than a mere object. Like Bernstein's example of a knife being an object to an amateur, but a thing to a trained chef, the design kit has become a thing. The more I began using the tools and learning what each tool was for, the more I began to value the tools.
I love your interpretation on your design kit Kristy. I, too, have come to this realization with my camera. At first it was merely an object to capture images of things, but not it has become a way to create art and provoke feelings and thought into someone. It has also given me a new perspective on my own life and how simple objects can be so much more than that. I see how this course can go hand and hand with photography and all it took is to learn the history of this object and what it can be used for, such as your design kit.
I really like how you described your design kit. The idea that it is your own personal kit with a meaning like that of a chef with his chef knife is definitely applicable.
I have been looking at the ring I wear on my finger daily recently and have given more thought about it this time around. I wear it for a variety of reasons, one for the purpose of it as an embellishment. Another is that I do not even notice it on my finger, sometimes it is just an object and other times when i notice it, it is a thing. A thing that describes me as a woman who might be taken when I go to a bar or as a person with good taste ;) But the fact that I do not think about my ring much unless I draw my attention upon it and dance with it makes me think about all the objects in this world that are being taken for granted because they are not being acknowledged. Yet, they have great value... monetary or emotional.
Very interesting observation you made here. How could we forget about an object that was made to serve as an emotional thing? I think, here we can think about it as politics- inherent or not. Maybe, some objects develop emotional attachment with time and some might be made with the emotional connection in mind. However, some objects might lose that emotional connection to the owner with time as well. Similarly, I think about whether objects can lose their politics as well?
One of the things that I think happens as a result of this class is that we might tend to overthink objects. Rings can have a super big emotional attachment. But they don't have to. And I don't think it's bad that we sometimes don't consider them. This class argues that objects can have these big important points but sometimes a ring is just a ring and a chair is just a chair. I too wear a ring. I forget about it all the time. It has no significance. I was forced to get it by my parents and now wear it out of habit, it feels wrong not to have it on.
I really enjoyed reading this post. I certainly agree with you about taking things for granted. I definitely think that people take their belongings of all kinds for granted, and its a shame since a lot of time, effort, and hard earned money are spent on creating and acquiring all of the items that we have and use. I also wear a ring everyday that was given to me by my mom as a gift years ago, and I never take it off, and have a very strong emotional attachement to it. It signifies the bond that I will always have with my mom and how much we love each other.
I don't think if I had taken this course that I would pay attention to the purpose of objects as much as I do now. I have been thinking about my books and school ID a lot. I always knew that not everyone gets the chance to attend a university, but I have been trying to think about why did I get the chance to. Was it because I worked hard or were there other people who would benefit from me going to a school? I also wonder, how many people with similar backgrounds as me (financially, racially) attend the UCs. Even if there was political reasons behind me being allowed to attend a UC, it doesn't mean that I had an easier path to attend a University. So, I wonder if two people mutually benefit from a situation, if it is really that bad? So, are all politics bad?If not bad, are they selfish still? When I look my ID, I think about how four years ago, I was so overwhelmed about my acceptance at UCB and all these other UCs. So, my school ID will always have an emotional hold on me because it's a sign of achieving something that was not in your favor.
I thought your post about your school ID was very interesting. It is strange how such a small object can have such a powerful emotional hold. As an object, the school ID can also be linked to the topic of photographs. Your school ID encapsulates a moment of time that holds significance in your life.
I thought that your perspective on your ID was very interesting, and I wonder how/if it will change over the next few years as your ID becomes more and more of a souvenir of your experience at this school.
This thought behind your ID is so interesting. This class, too, has helped me appreciate and see objects in a different light and this ID is part of these objects; I agree with you because this ID is so much more than just a card, it hold feeling and thoughts such as these that you display.
I am fascinated by the idea of nostalgia. It seems to be this strange sort of melancholy that simultaneously drives our lives forward and anchors us to the past. Our discussions in class have prompted me to think about the nostalgic objects in my own life. I am particularly interested in how objects acquire those nostalgic tendencies. For some things, it seems pretty self-explanatory. A stuffed animal, for instance, becomes nostalgic when the owner ceases to interact with it in the same way they did when they were a child. Other objects, like photographs, are less clear. There does not seem to be the same transition of action with a photograph as there is with a stuffed animal or childhood toy. The answer may lie in the function of a photograph. Photographs can capture a liver of time that cannot be reclaimed. From that point forward, the past can only be accessed via the photograph. However, it is not a true access of the past. The physicality of the captured moment is gone, and therein lies the nostalgia.
It is really interesting the think about nostalgia, it's one of those things thats everywhere but you don't really know how it got there. While this class has helped illuminate how it can form and where it can exist I also think it's good not to overanalyze everything, and for some things such as nostalgia it might be fun just to appreciate it for what it is, mysterious.
When we were writing the child good object essay I thought a lot about how objects gain significance and I am to the conclusion it depends on timing.
As an infant the first object that is soft or squishy and easy to carry around will likely become your not me object. It's significant because you have always had it. It is part of normalcy.
Once you are a little older objects that help you form relationships or that represent those human connections become important. These can be gifts from friends, pictures we draw our parents to be lovingly displayed in their work places or objects that bridge the gap between people such as a sportball or really anything that gives people something in common. That stage lasts a while.
Then when we are old objects that remind us of our glory days and old relationships become important.
The main idea here is that your life stage to a certain extent has a large impact on the types of objects that are likely to become significant
I agree with what you have to say about certain stages in life having an effect on the objects we project on. What seems to be the case is our own development plays a significant role in creating our understanding of "significance" and "attachment" to specific objects.
The Sherry Turkle’s readings on Evocative Objects provided eye opening information on the connection that I as a human has with a material object - in this case, being my childhood blanket. Not only do I consider this my childhood blanket, but it’s actually an exact replica of my original blanket. For some context, my original blanket belonged to my mother, and through wear and tear, remains safely stored back home and is no longer extensively used. Around the same time that I “retired” that blanket, we went on vacation to a cabin in Tahoe, which belonged to a family friend of ours. There, I found the exact same blanket as my original one (same print, same design, and even same smell of dust and age). By the graciousness of the owners (and a simple fee of $1) they let me keep the blanket, and since then, it’s been my go to blanket. What I find interesting here and in relation to Turkle’s reading is what type of connection I have to the individual blankets, as well as the both of them combined. The original blanket evokes feelings of nostalgia and remembrance of my childhood, as it should, but so does the “new” blanket even though it was never there to experience those events. This poses the question then, “Is the relationship that I have to my blanket physically based or situational?” I can say with confidence that I would gladly give up the new blanket in place of the old one, even if it provides similar sentimentality. Perhaps in this case then (as well as in this current time), my relationship with my blanket is situational in that it had to have physically been there alongside me in order to evoke more emotional attachment.
I think this highlights how the memories and feelings attached to objects are more important than the physical object itself. It's very interesting how the new blanket could evoke feelings that are associated with the old blanket. It makes me wonder if a picture of a sentimental object would evoke feelings of nostalgia, even if the actual object is not present.
Sherry Turkle's work described an "evocative object." When I first read that reading I could not recall an evocative object that I owned. However, I then remembered the baseball that I had as a child. I would always use it to play catch with my grandpa. I remembered how much emotion it brought me and how much power it still has to do so. In Stewart's reading, she talks about souvenirs. Stewart defines a souvenir as an object that envelopes the present in the past. After reading both of these works, I have concluded that an evocative object will eventually turn into a souvenir. My baseball that was an evocative object is now a souvenir to a point in my life when my grandpa was alive.
I really like how you made the point of saying that an evocative object can eventually turn into a souvenir. That is a really interesting idea that I can relate to!
Oriana, I too had a similar experience when recalling my own evocative object. I chose my softball glove which too brings back many emotions. It has a great amount of power to evoke emotions. I didn't really think of my softball glove as a souvenir, but you put it in a which I now do. I feel that because I still used my softball glove it is not yet a souvenir, but it will soon become one when the emotions are not as fresh and I have a longing for those feelings.
I like the connection you made with evocative objects and souvenirs. The evocative object holds so much power to you that it morphed into something that will always bring forward these feelings of love. Great connection!
I really like how you shared your experience of your evocative object and how it enlopes the present and the past. Your baseball is a memory of your grandpa and I find that very beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Sherry Turkle's writing on Evocative Objects prompted me to consider where in my life I have felt emotions attached to an object. It wasn't hard for me to think of an evocative object as mine happens to be something I wear everyday. The necklace I wear around my neck was given to me when I was 15 and, despite the few occasions on which I changed it, I have not gone a day without wearing it. Even for the few hours when I would wear a crystal necklace or something for prom or graduation, I still carried the necklace in my pocket. I have a lot of emotions attached to this necklace because my mom gave it to me and it reminds me of a warmth that I feel from those who love me. Being away from home, this necklace has only increased its value to me. I have a comfortable attachment to it.
After listening to the audio "The House on Loon Lake" it made me recall an experience in my childhood that was similar. My friends and I found a backpack in a park filled with many different objects. This object had a sense of mystery which my friends and I loved, we used our imaginations to come up with different stories and ideas of who the back pack belonged to, how it got in the bushes, why someone forgot about it, etc. The mystery of this backpack was so intriguing and really related to the story of the house. We made up some pretty crazy storied and were fascinated with this object. We would come home every day ready to go through the objects in the backpack and try and figure out the answers to the questions we were coming up with. I find it interesting how our imaginations were so strong as children and it could evoke so many feelings and thoughts. I feel that now it would not be something I would be fascinated with, I wonder why the power of this object would lose its evocative value as I get older?
Hi Andrea, I agree with you that it is interesting how our imaginations change over time. As the years go by, I realize that what used to interest me does not interest me anymore. The audio on "the House on Look Lake" was actually one of my favorites because it reminds me of a horror or suspenseful movie. I think its cool how you and your friends experienced this, I feel that my friends and I would do the exact same thing if we found the backpack. I think the power of the object would lose its evocative value as we get older because as kids we are fascinated by different things. Since we don't have the same fascination to objects, they are seen as normal when we get older.
The reading about the Willard State Hospital was really interesting to me. It reminded me of the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which takes place in a psych ward. The book gives the characters, who are patients of the psych ward a voice just as the objects found in the suitcases of the patients of Willard State Hospital help shape the personalities and characters of their owners. In the past, those with any sort of mental illness were put in hospitals and forgotten, and the reading on the Hospital really highlighted this unfortunate practice. Now, even though those suffering from mental illness issues experience a greater level of acceptance and treatment, mental illness is still stigmatized and stereotyped. One example of this is the movie Split. The movie uses the stereotypes associated with multiple personality disorder for entertainment purposes. This is not only hurtful to those with the disorder, but it also hinders public understanding and acceptance of those with the disorder. In contrast, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest really helped bring patient's rights into the conversation in the time that it was written because it forced readers to see the psych ward patients as human beings. These two objects; the book and the film deal with the same topic, but they have different effects on those who use or experience them. This goes to show the power of objects and how they influence our values and view points.
After reading Sherry Turkle's writing on Evocative Objects it made me try and reflect on my childhood and things from it that I could consider evocative objects. While I remember being sentimentally attached to certain toys and objects because that's the type of person I am I'm having trouble recalling what specific toys, blankets or anything that I was that found of. I remember the emotions that I felt and the support they provided when I was little but I don't remember what they looked like for the most part. This makes me think that the object is not the important aspect, but rather the emotional attachment is what really matters because even though I don't remember the object anymore my attachment stays with me. I think the reading on transitional objects backs this up because I remember reading that a lot of times a child will only get over their transitional object if it is lost or destroyed, such as a blanket being disintegrated after so much use, and after the object is gone soon the memory of it will be gone as well, but not the feelings of comfort and attachment it gave.
Now that we're at the end of this class, I was thinking about writing about how I look at things differently and how my perspective on life has changed. But I don’t think that’s necessary. Sure, I do look at some things differently now, and possibly try to find deeper meanings in things, but not everything HAS to have a deeper meaning. For example, I was going to write this post about my watch. I have a watch that I have worn every single day for the last four years. It has become a necessary piece of clothing for me. I was originally thinking of writing how it means a lot to me and makes me feel safe, stuff along those lines. But I don’t think it has these deeper meanings. It’s just a watch that I really like to wear. I think that is what is important to take away from this course, it is important to be more aware of objects and the effects they have on people and society, but it’s not necessary. I know that hoodies have had a huge cultural effect on society and the mistreatment of people of color, but my watch is just a watch.
Jacob, I understand how you think that not everything has a deeper meaning and that goes into how each individual has their own perspective. In your eyes a watch can just be a watch, but to someone else a watch can have a deeper as a watch is a representation of a social object that shows an individual when they should meet with someone or politically keep track of historical moments. This class challenged us to see the deeper meaning in objects and how our perspective is different than everyone else.
Winnicott's reading on Transitional Objects and Transitional Phenomena was really interesting because as a Human Development major, I learn a lot about attachment and infant relationships with caregivers. I find it very interesting that we could develop the same attachment to objects as well. When I think of transitional objects, I think of pacifiers, bottles, and blankets. Transitional objects are unique to the individual. My nephew’s transitional object growing up was his pig stuffed animal. When I was a toddler, my mom told me I used to carry around her tshirt for comfort. I thought it was weird and find it interesting, but I think this relates to transitional phenomena because it was there to help give me a sense of security. Eventually, I stopped carrying the shirt around and transitioned to stuffed animals.
Reflecting back to the reading from this course, I enjoyed how we focused on the deeper significance of objects. For example, when an individual sees a pen they just see the object of the pen. Meanwhile, another individual sees an object that allows them to express themselves, write a story, and/or an object that politically writes policies and rules as well. I never had a deeper analysis of an object, when I would see an object I didn't think less or more of it. An object can be a social, political, justice image, and much more. Winnicott's reading reminded me of the child development class I took over the summer because when Winnicott explains "not-me" object he describes how a child comes to an age where they now know how to differentiate themselves from an object. In my child development class we talked about how a child comes to an age where their brain is able to tell the difference between themselves and an object. I also enjoyed the reading about the hoodie because the reading emphasized the significance of the hoodie and how it was used as an image of resistance to oppression to people of color. The hoodie represented many objectives: not showing a person's identity, a sign of resistance/justice, and a representation of a certain time and place. This class and the readings have showed me how objects go beyond what the human mind expects.
I definitely agree with how some people see an object such as a pen just as an object while others tie the pen with some story especially since I just wrote about my multi-colored pen.
It's interesting how your class defined the brain's maturity as it being able to distinguish itself from other things. It's nice to see concepts we learn in class pop up in other disciplines.
The idea of a presence of absence reminded me of how I recently lost my multi-colored pen. This pen has been with me since the beginning of the school year and has been doing a good job till now. Even though the pen as a whole is lost, I still have the containers that used to hold the cartridges of ink for the multi-colored pen inside of my pencil pouch for some reason. Whenever I open my pouch, I see the presence of the cartridges there, but what is absent is the utility of the pen as a whole and the inability to write notes with several colors to clear the convoluting explanation from some professors. At the beginning of every lecture, I’m constantly reminded of this inability and the only thing that I could use as an alternative at the moment is using my red pen which only provides only one color and all I could do is just sigh. Thinking about the pen, I remember that I got this as a Christmas present from my cousin. My brother and I were a little bummed at the beginning since my brother and I bought her a nice beanie and we both got a pen in return. Also at the beginning when I used the black ink as my main source of writing, the ink went out very fast thus following more of a disappointment; but as the year went by only using the other colors, the pen turned out to be very useful. In all honesty, I should just throw those cartridges out to save some space in my pencil pouch.
After reading about nostalgia and having the thought of this feeling floating around in my mind ever since, and I am very intrigued by and grateful for the feeling. I think it is beautiful that we have the emotional capacity to look at something that is or reminiscent of an item we used to have. I think experiencing waves of nostalgia shows how sentient and open our hearts are, and it is proof of our love and attachment for the things that play such large roles in our lives. I personally feel strong pangs of nostalgia when I see music boxes. When I see a music box, it reminds me of the first one that I ever had, which was a quaint white and baby pink box with a spinning ballerina inside. It was so gentle, innocent, and delicate, just as I was when I was a child. The tinkling tune that plays as the poised ballerina twirls around the inner face of the box is soothing, but evokes a longing for my past innocence, happiness, and gentle nature that was a large part of my personality as a child. I find nostalgia interesting in this manner because not only does it make you yearn for the items themselves, but it makes you wish that you could see life the way you used to, and experience it with the satisfaction and wonder that you once did.
I agree, the feeling of nostalgia is so beautiful and what is even more amazing is that it is a common feeling that everyone is capable of feeling through just an object. This shows how emotion plays a role in the things we consider important in our life just as you said it is proof for love and attachment for things in our life that we feel are important. It's actually a crazy thing to think about how you can see and object and just relate back to a specific childhood event. I like the idea you pointed out how nostalgia makes you yearn for those feelings you have previously experienced because I think a lot of people yearn for those feelings. Life is not quite the same when you are a child experiencing those feelings to being an adult now.
The most recent reading we had "The lives they left behind" really put into perspective how much meaning and significance an object holds and how just one simple object can lead to telling a life story. This reading fascinated me because of how the items in each suitcase led to an entire history of that persons life. It got me thinking about what major objects in my life right now will be able to tell my story of the life I lived 100 years from now. I also recognized that the object does not have to hold a lot of value or be expensive to represent someones life. The object can be a simple item such as "baby booties" to represent the past just as the reading explained. I will now pay closer attention to objects that tend to represent an individuals life. For example, my object that would have represented 18 years of my life is a softball glove because it consumed my life and was one of my top priorities for the past 18 years.
I really enjoyed analyzing the pictures of "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" by James Agee. This reading obviously stood out due to most of it being images, but I liked how it showed me that the concepts from this class can be applied to more than just objects and readings. Being able to understand more about how people lived by just seeing what kinds of clothes they wear, how their town is constructed, or who they're near is pretty cool. The reading required a deeper level of analysis that the others did not.
I was working at the soil science lab, thinking about lab glassware as an object, and the different types of nostalgia that people have for that object depending on their experience with what they put inside. For instance, someone working with with hazardous chemicals may look at glassware in a totally different regard and respect than someone working only with water. Having worked in many lab situations over the past few years, it is very interesting to me to see how people from different backgrounds approach lab equipment, and how the same piece of equipment can mean so many different things to different people.
Our recent reading, the lives they left behind, has really stood out to me. It has showed me how powerful objects can be; they can serve as historical artifacts and can show inner conflicts a person has had. I started to realize that these everyday objects carry more and more stories as they play these minimal parts in our lives and eventually they become these historical artifacts that carry our history. Even the house in the "An American Life" podcast displayed a haunting history of different people in the house, describing the way they lives and who they were, these artifacts reveals truths that nobody can ever know unless they truly dig into these artifacts we leave behind; photos, documents, clothing, accessories. This also revamped the saying "the presence of absence." These artifacts allowed people in both the article and the podcast to be present long after their death, their suitcases and the personal belonging they held in "the life they lived" told stories of the patients that the nurses and doctor's didn't even know. I think that's astonishing.
Nostalgia is something that comes up when I look at a photograph of me and my father when I was younger. The reason this feeling arises is because my father has been absent for most of my life and it is a memory of when he was there. Nostalgia surrounds my picture because of the feeling of absence. After meeting my father though, this nostalgic feeling of the photograph has disappeared. This happened because the feeling of loss disappeared. I thought this was an interesting change in my feeling about the photograph.
Today, as I looked at my design kit with all of the items, I realized that the design kit was originally just an object. I had no idea what all of the tools and gadgets for and thought of it as an object that had no value to me. It wasn't until the first day of design class that I realized just how important the kit is to me and how valuable each thing is or what they are capable of creating. I didn't really think about how the design kit had started off as an object and had eventually turned into a thing. Each piece of paper, cutting knife, transfer paper, cutting board, paint brush, sketching pencil, and paint tube has value to me and is so much more than a mere object. Like Bernstein's example of a knife being an object to an amateur, but a thing to a trained chef, the design kit has become a thing. The more I began using the tools and learning what each tool was for, the more I began to value the tools.
ReplyDeleteI love your interpretation on your design kit Kristy. I, too, have come to this realization with my camera. At first it was merely an object to capture images of things, but not it has become a way to create art and provoke feelings and thought into someone. It has also given me a new perspective on my own life and how simple objects can be so much more than that. I see how this course can go hand and hand with photography and all it took is to learn the history of this object and what it can be used for, such as your design kit.
DeleteI really like how you described your design kit. The idea that it is your own personal kit with a meaning like that of a chef with his chef knife is definitely applicable.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking at the ring I wear on my finger daily recently and have given more thought about it this time around. I wear it for a variety of reasons, one for the purpose of it as an embellishment. Another is that I do not even notice it on my finger, sometimes it is just an object and other times when i notice it, it is a thing. A thing that describes me as a woman who might be taken when I go to a bar or as a person with good taste ;) But the fact that I do not think about my ring much unless I draw my attention upon it and dance with it makes me think about all the objects in this world that are being taken for granted because they are not being acknowledged. Yet, they have great value... monetary or emotional.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting observation you made here. How could we forget about an object that was made to serve as an emotional thing? I think, here we can think about it as politics- inherent or not. Maybe, some objects develop emotional attachment with time and some might be made with the emotional connection in mind. However, some objects might lose that emotional connection to the owner with time as well. Similarly, I think about whether objects can lose their politics as well?
DeleteOne of the things that I think happens as a result of this class is that we might tend to overthink objects. Rings can have a super big emotional attachment. But they don't have to. And I don't think it's bad that we sometimes don't consider them. This class argues that objects can have these big important points but sometimes a ring is just a ring and a chair is just a chair. I too wear a ring. I forget about it all the time. It has no significance. I was forced to get it by my parents and now wear it out of habit, it feels wrong not to have it on.
DeleteI really enjoyed reading this post. I certainly agree with you about taking things for granted. I definitely think that people take their belongings of all kinds for granted, and its a shame since a lot of time, effort, and hard earned money are spent on creating and acquiring all of the items that we have and use. I also wear a ring everyday that was given to me by my mom as a gift years ago, and I never take it off, and have a very strong emotional attachement to it. It signifies the bond that I will always have with my mom and how much we love each other.
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ReplyDeleteI don't think if I had taken this course that I would pay attention to the purpose of objects as much as I do now. I have been thinking about my books and school ID a lot. I always knew that not everyone gets the chance to attend a university, but I have been trying to think about why did I get the chance to. Was it because I worked hard or were there other people who would benefit from me going to a school? I also wonder, how many people with similar backgrounds as me (financially, racially) attend the UCs. Even if there was political reasons behind me being allowed to attend a UC, it doesn't mean that I had an easier path to attend a University. So, I wonder if two people mutually benefit from a situation, if it is really that bad? So, are all politics bad?If not bad, are they selfish still?
ReplyDeleteWhen I look my ID, I think about how four years ago, I was so overwhelmed about my acceptance at UCB and all these other UCs. So, my school ID will always have an emotional hold on me because it's a sign of achieving something that was not in your favor.
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DeleteI thought your post about your school ID was very interesting. It is strange how such a small object can have such a powerful emotional hold. As an object, the school ID can also be linked to the topic of photographs. Your school ID encapsulates a moment of time that holds significance in your life.
I thought that your perspective on your ID was very interesting, and I wonder how/if it will change over the next few years as your ID becomes more and more of a souvenir of your experience at this school.
DeleteThis thought behind your ID is so interesting. This class, too, has helped me appreciate and see objects in a different light and this ID is part of these objects; I agree with you because this ID is so much more than just a card, it hold feeling and thoughts such as these that you display.
DeleteI am fascinated by the idea of nostalgia. It seems to be this strange sort of melancholy that simultaneously drives our lives forward and anchors us to the past. Our discussions in class have prompted me to think about the nostalgic objects in my own life. I am particularly interested in how objects acquire those nostalgic tendencies. For some things, it seems pretty self-explanatory. A stuffed animal, for instance, becomes nostalgic when the owner ceases to interact with it in the same way they did when they were a child. Other objects, like photographs, are less clear. There does not seem to be the same transition of action with a photograph as there is with a stuffed animal or childhood toy. The answer may lie in the function of a photograph. Photographs can capture a liver of time that cannot be reclaimed. From that point forward, the past can only be accessed via the photograph. However, it is not a true access of the past. The physicality of the captured moment is gone, and therein lies the nostalgia.
ReplyDeleteI too am fascinated with the idea of nostalgia, especially the idea of nostalgic objects. Objects are inanimate yet they still can hold power over us.
DeleteIt is really interesting the think about nostalgia, it's one of those things thats everywhere but you don't really know how it got there. While this class has helped illuminate how it can form and where it can exist I also think it's good not to overanalyze everything, and for some things such as nostalgia it might be fun just to appreciate it for what it is, mysterious.
DeleteWhen we were writing the child good object essay I thought a lot about how objects gain significance and I am to the conclusion it depends on timing.
ReplyDeleteAs an infant the first object that is soft or squishy and easy to carry around will likely become your not me object. It's significant because you have always had it. It is part of normalcy.
Once you are a little older objects that help you form relationships or that represent those human connections become important. These can be gifts from friends, pictures we draw our parents to be lovingly displayed in their work places or objects that bridge the gap between people such as a sportball or really anything that gives people something in common. That stage lasts a while.
Then when we are old objects that remind us of our glory days and old relationships become important.
The main idea here is that your life stage to a certain extent has a large impact on the types of objects that are likely to become significant
I agree with what you have to say about certain stages in life having an effect on the objects we project on. What seems to be the case is our own development plays a significant role in creating our understanding of "significance" and "attachment" to specific objects.
DeleteThe Sherry Turkle’s readings on Evocative Objects provided eye opening information on the connection that I as a human has with a material object - in this case, being my childhood blanket. Not only do I consider this my childhood blanket, but it’s actually an exact replica of my original blanket. For some context, my original blanket belonged to my mother, and through wear and tear, remains safely stored back home and is no longer extensively used. Around the same time that I “retired” that blanket, we went on vacation to a cabin in Tahoe, which belonged to a family friend of ours. There, I found the exact same blanket as my original one (same print, same design, and even same smell of dust and age). By the graciousness of the owners (and a simple fee of $1) they let me keep the blanket, and since then, it’s been my go to blanket. What I find interesting here and in relation to Turkle’s reading is what type of connection I have to the individual blankets, as well as the both of them combined. The original blanket evokes feelings of nostalgia and remembrance of my childhood, as it should, but so does the “new” blanket even though it was never there to experience those events. This poses the question then, “Is the relationship that I have to my blanket physically based or situational?” I can say with confidence that I would gladly give up the new blanket in place of the old one, even if it provides similar sentimentality. Perhaps in this case then (as well as in this current time), my relationship with my blanket is situational in that it had to have physically been there alongside me in order to evoke more emotional attachment.
ReplyDeleteI think this highlights how the memories and feelings attached to objects are more important than the physical object itself. It's very interesting how the new blanket could evoke feelings that are associated with the old blanket. It makes me wonder if a picture of a sentimental object would evoke feelings of nostalgia, even if the actual object is not present.
DeleteSherry Turkle's work described an "evocative object." When I first read that reading I could not recall an evocative object that I owned. However, I then remembered the baseball that I had as a child. I would always use it to play catch with my grandpa. I remembered how much emotion it brought me and how much power it still has to do so. In Stewart's reading, she talks about souvenirs. Stewart defines a souvenir as an object that envelopes the present in the past. After reading both of these works, I have concluded that an evocative object will eventually turn into a souvenir. My baseball that was an evocative object is now a souvenir to a point in my life when my grandpa was alive.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you made the point of saying that an evocative object can eventually turn into a souvenir. That is a really interesting idea that I can relate to!
DeleteOriana,
DeleteI too had a similar experience when recalling my own evocative object. I chose my softball glove which too brings back many emotions. It has a great amount of power to evoke emotions. I didn't really think of my softball glove as a souvenir, but you put it in a which I now do. I feel that because I still used my softball glove it is not yet a souvenir, but it will soon become one when the emotions are not as fresh and I have a longing for those feelings.
I like the connection you made with evocative objects and souvenirs. The evocative object holds so much power to you that it morphed into something that will always bring forward these feelings of love. Great connection!
DeleteI really like how you shared your experience of your evocative object and how it enlopes the present and the past. Your baseball is a memory of your grandpa and I find that very beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteSherry Turkle's writing on Evocative Objects prompted me to consider where in my life I have felt emotions attached to an object. It wasn't hard for me to think of an evocative object as mine happens to be something I wear everyday. The necklace I wear around my neck was given to me when I was 15 and, despite the few occasions on which I changed it, I have not gone a day without wearing it. Even for the few hours when I would wear a crystal necklace or something for prom or graduation, I still carried the necklace in my pocket. I have a lot of emotions attached to this necklace because my mom gave it to me and it reminds me of a warmth that I feel from those who love me. Being away from home, this necklace has only increased its value to me. I have a comfortable attachment to it.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to the audio "The House on Loon Lake" it made me recall an experience in my childhood that was similar. My friends and I found a backpack in a park filled with many different objects. This object had a sense of mystery which my friends and I loved, we used our imaginations to come up with different stories and ideas of who the back pack belonged to, how it got in the bushes, why someone forgot about it, etc. The mystery of this backpack was so intriguing and really related to the story of the house. We made up some pretty crazy storied and were fascinated with this object. We would come home every day ready to go through the objects in the backpack and try and figure out the answers to the questions we were coming up with. I find it interesting how our imaginations were so strong as children and it could evoke so many feelings and thoughts. I feel that now it would not be something I would be fascinated with, I wonder why the power of this object would lose its evocative value as I get older?
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea,
DeleteI agree with you that it is interesting how our imaginations change over time. As the years go by, I realize that what used to interest me does not interest me anymore. The audio on "the House on Look Lake" was actually one of my favorites because it reminds me of a horror or suspenseful movie. I think its cool how you and your friends experienced this, I feel that my friends and I would do the exact same thing if we found the backpack. I think the power of the object would lose its evocative value as we get older because as kids we are fascinated by different things. Since we don't have the same fascination to objects, they are seen as normal when we get older.
The reading about the Willard State Hospital was really interesting to me. It reminded me of the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which takes place in a psych ward. The book gives the characters, who are patients of the psych ward a voice just as the objects found in the suitcases of the patients of Willard State Hospital help shape the personalities and characters of their owners. In the past, those with any sort of mental illness were put in hospitals and forgotten, and the reading on the Hospital really highlighted this unfortunate practice. Now, even though those suffering from mental illness issues experience a greater level of acceptance and treatment, mental illness is still stigmatized and stereotyped. One example of this is the movie Split. The movie uses the stereotypes associated with multiple personality disorder for entertainment purposes. This is not only hurtful to those with the disorder, but it also hinders public understanding and acceptance of those with the disorder. In contrast, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest really helped bring patient's rights into the conversation in the time that it was written because it forced readers to see the psych ward patients as human beings. These two objects; the book and the film deal with the same topic, but they have different effects on those who use or experience them. This goes to show the power of objects and how they influence our values and view points.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Sherry Turkle's writing on Evocative Objects it made me try and reflect on my childhood and things from it that I could consider evocative objects. While I remember being sentimentally attached to certain toys and objects because that's the type of person I am I'm having trouble recalling what specific toys, blankets or anything that I was that found of. I remember the emotions that I felt and the support they provided when I was little but I don't remember what they looked like for the most part. This makes me think that the object is not the important aspect, but rather the emotional attachment is what really matters because even though I don't remember the object anymore my attachment stays with me. I think the reading on transitional objects backs this up because I remember reading that a lot of times a child will only get over their transitional object if it is lost or destroyed, such as a blanket being disintegrated after so much use, and after the object is gone soon the memory of it will be gone as well, but not the feelings of comfort and attachment it gave.
ReplyDeleteNow that we're at the end of this class, I was thinking about writing about how I look at things differently and how my perspective on life has changed. But I don’t think that’s necessary. Sure, I do look at some things differently now, and possibly try to find deeper meanings in things, but not everything HAS to have a deeper meaning. For example, I was going to write this post about my watch. I have a watch that I have worn every single day for the last four years. It has become a necessary piece of clothing for me. I was originally thinking of writing how it means a lot to me and makes me feel safe, stuff along those lines. But I don’t think it has these deeper meanings. It’s just a watch that I really like to wear. I think that is what is important to take away from this course, it is important to be more aware of objects and the effects they have on people and society, but it’s not necessary. I know that hoodies have had a huge cultural effect on society and the mistreatment of people of color, but my watch is just a watch.
ReplyDeleteJacob,
DeleteI understand how you think that not everything has a deeper meaning and that goes into how each individual has their own perspective. In your eyes a watch can just be a watch, but to someone else a watch can have a deeper as a watch is a representation of a social object that shows an individual when they should meet with someone or politically keep track of historical moments. This class challenged us to see the deeper meaning in objects and how our perspective is different than everyone else.
Winnicott's reading on Transitional Objects and Transitional Phenomena was really interesting because as a Human Development major, I learn a lot about attachment and infant relationships with caregivers. I find it very interesting that we could develop the same attachment to objects as well. When I think of transitional objects, I think of pacifiers, bottles, and blankets. Transitional objects are unique to the individual. My nephew’s transitional object growing up was his pig stuffed animal. When I was a toddler, my mom told me I used to carry around her tshirt for comfort. I thought it was weird and find it interesting, but I think this relates to transitional phenomena because it was there to help give me a sense of security. Eventually, I stopped carrying the shirt around and transitioned to stuffed animals.
ReplyDeleteReflecting back to the reading from this course, I enjoyed how we focused on the deeper significance of objects. For example, when an individual sees a pen they just see the object of the pen. Meanwhile, another individual sees an object that allows them to express themselves, write a story, and/or an object that politically writes policies and rules as well. I never had a deeper analysis of an object, when I would see an object I didn't think less or more of it. An object can be a social, political, justice image, and much more. Winnicott's reading reminded me of the child development class I took over the summer because when Winnicott explains "not-me" object he describes how a child comes to an age where they now know how to differentiate themselves from an object. In my child development class we talked about how a child comes to an age where their brain is able to tell the difference between themselves and an object. I also enjoyed the reading about the hoodie because the reading emphasized the significance of the hoodie and how it was used as an image of resistance to oppression to people of color. The hoodie represented many objectives: not showing a person's identity, a sign of resistance/justice, and a representation of a certain time and place. This class and the readings have showed me how objects go beyond what the human mind expects.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with how some people see an object such as a pen just as an object while others tie the pen with some story especially since I just wrote about my multi-colored pen.
DeleteIt's interesting how your class defined the brain's maturity as it being able to distinguish itself from other things. It's nice to see concepts we learn in class pop up in other disciplines.
DeleteThe idea of a presence of absence reminded me of how I recently lost my multi-colored pen. This pen has been with me since the beginning of the school year and has been doing a good job till now. Even though the pen as a whole is lost, I still have the containers that used to hold the cartridges of ink for the multi-colored pen inside of my pencil pouch for some reason. Whenever I open my pouch, I see the presence of the cartridges there, but what is absent is the utility of the pen as a whole and the inability to write notes with several colors to clear the convoluting explanation from some professors. At the beginning of every lecture, I’m constantly reminded of this inability and the only thing that I could use as an alternative at the moment is using my red pen which only provides only one color and all I could do is just sigh. Thinking about the pen, I remember that I got this as a Christmas present from my cousin. My brother and I were a little bummed at the beginning since my brother and I bought her a nice beanie and we both got a pen in return. Also at the beginning when I used the black ink as my main source of writing, the ink went out very fast thus following more of a disappointment; but as the year went by only using the other colors, the pen turned out to be very useful. In all honesty, I should just throw those cartridges out to save some space in my pencil pouch.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading about nostalgia and having the thought of this feeling floating around in my mind ever since, and I am very intrigued by and grateful for the feeling. I think it is beautiful that we have the emotional capacity to look at something that is or reminiscent of an item we used to have. I think experiencing waves of nostalgia shows how sentient and open our hearts are, and it is proof of our love and attachment for the things that play such large roles in our lives. I personally feel strong pangs of nostalgia when I see music boxes. When I see a music box, it reminds me of the first one that I ever had, which was a quaint white and baby pink box with a spinning ballerina inside. It was so gentle, innocent, and delicate, just as I was when I was a child. The tinkling tune that plays as the poised ballerina twirls around the inner face of the box is soothing, but evokes a longing for my past innocence, happiness, and gentle nature that was a large part of my personality as a child. I find nostalgia interesting in this manner because not only does it make you yearn for the items themselves, but it makes you wish that you could see life the way you used to, and experience it with the satisfaction and wonder that you once did.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the feeling of nostalgia is so beautiful and what is even more amazing is that it is a common feeling that everyone is capable of feeling through just an object. This shows how emotion plays a role in the things we consider important in our life just as you said it is proof for love and attachment for things in our life that we feel are important. It's actually a crazy thing to think about how you can see and object and just relate back to a specific childhood event. I like the idea you pointed out how nostalgia makes you yearn for those feelings you have previously experienced because I think a lot of people yearn for those feelings. Life is not quite the same when you are a child experiencing those feelings to being an adult now.
DeleteThe most recent reading we had "The lives they left behind" really put into perspective how much meaning and significance an object holds and how just one simple object can lead to telling a life story. This reading fascinated me because of how the items in each suitcase led to an entire history of that persons life. It got me thinking about what major objects in my life right now will be able to tell my story of the life I lived 100 years from now. I also recognized that the object does not have to hold a lot of value or be expensive to represent someones life. The object can be a simple item such as "baby booties" to represent the past just as the reading explained. I will now pay closer attention to objects that tend to represent an individuals life. For example, my object that would have represented 18 years of my life is a softball glove because it consumed my life and was one of my top priorities for the past 18 years.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed analyzing the pictures of "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" by James Agee. This reading obviously stood out due to most of it being images, but I liked how it showed me that the concepts from this class can be applied to more than just objects and readings. Being able to understand more about how people lived by just seeing what kinds of clothes they wear, how their town is constructed, or who they're near is pretty cool. The reading required a deeper level of analysis that the others did not.
ReplyDeleteI was working at the soil science lab, thinking about lab glassware as an object, and the different types of nostalgia that people have for that object depending on their experience with what they put inside. For instance, someone working with with hazardous chemicals may look at glassware in a totally different regard and respect than someone working only with water. Having worked in many lab situations over the past few years, it is very interesting to me to see how people from different backgrounds approach lab equipment, and how the same piece of equipment can mean so many different things to different people.
ReplyDeleteOur recent reading, the lives they left behind, has really stood out to me. It has showed me how powerful objects can be; they can serve as historical artifacts and can show inner conflicts a person has had. I started to realize that these everyday objects carry more and more stories as they play these minimal parts in our lives and eventually they become these historical artifacts that carry our history. Even the house in the "An American Life" podcast displayed a haunting history of different people in the house, describing the way they lives and who they were, these artifacts reveals truths that nobody can ever know unless they truly dig into these artifacts we leave behind; photos, documents, clothing, accessories. This also revamped the saying "the presence of absence." These artifacts allowed people in both the article and the podcast to be present long after their death, their suitcases and the personal belonging they held in "the life they lived" told stories of the patients that the nurses and doctor's didn't even know. I think that's astonishing.
ReplyDeleteNostalgia is something that comes up when I look at a photograph of me and my father when I was younger. The reason this feeling arises is because my father has been absent for most of my life and it is a memory of when he was there. Nostalgia surrounds my picture because of the feeling of absence. After meeting my father though, this nostalgic feeling of the photograph has disappeared. This happened because the feeling of loss disappeared. I thought this was an interesting change in my feeling about the photograph.
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