Phenomenology of Spirit (1807) is perhaps Hegel’s most influential work, especially through Marx’s critique that “stood Hegel on his head”: Marx inverted Hegel’s idealist absolutism into dialectical materialism. In the Phenomenology Hegel describes the dialectical experience and development of consciousness from sense-certainty, perception, understanding and self-consciousness to absolute knowing. Hegel argues in the famous passage titled ‘Lordship and Bondage’ that self-consciousness exists only insofar it exists in the world of others and is acknowledged by others. This idea of subject formation as social, as the need for mutual recognition, has influenced many philosophers, both who … [Read more...] about Anna Rajala – Phenomenology of spirit – 30DoS #12
Tone Dahl-Michelsen – Gender trouble – 30DoS #11
The work of Judith Butler has had hugely influence within different field of critical thinkers and her book Gender Trouble (1990) is regarded as a ‘break through’ within gender studies. It contributed a radical shift in how we came to see ourselves as gendered beings. The main point is that individuals ‘become gendered’ through performative acts. This gives individuals agency, however, the performativity of gender takes place in relation to certain gender norms within a context. Judith Butler sees both sex and gender as something that becomes ‘reality’ through performing. This concerns ontology and is a controversial point within her theory. I was introduced to the thinking of Judith … [Read more...] about Tone Dahl-Michelsen – Gender trouble – 30DoS #11
Catherine Sykes – The ICF – 30DoS #10
Published in 2001 the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) has stimulated a change in understanding of what is understood as human functioning and the role of the environment in the experience of functioning. I was involved in the development of ICF and have continued to work on the implementation of the model and classifications in health and social welfare data collections. Whilst the model has informed the education and practice of physical therapists the adoption of the classification for statistics has been slow. Why? Some argue that it is too detailed, too complicated. The key to ICF is to keep the individual as the … [Read more...] about Catherine Sykes – The ICF – 30DoS #10
Patty Thille – The body multiple – 30DoS #9
The Body Multiple is an ethnographic experiment: an ethnography of a disease. Mol studies clinical work practices, examining what athlerosclerosis is in different parts of the same hospital. The simple answer: what athlerosclerosis is varies depending on where you study it being made into an object. Mol found that we cannot assume these dispersed enactments are different perspectives of the same disease. Instead, different objects co-exist under the name ‘athlerosclerosis’. “Multiplicity” is her term for this phenomenon of an object being more than one but less than two. TBM has been highly influential in science & technology studies. TBM opened up study of what Mol calls “ontological … [Read more...] about Patty Thille – The body multiple – 30DoS #9
Målfrid Råheim – The Social Body – 30DoS #8
Crossley claims that sociology has not solved the philosophical puzzle of dualism, which means that questions of embodiment have not been worked through satisfactory in order to understand agency, identity and the nature of social practice. In The Social Body (2001) he discusses these issues by focusing on the sensuous nature of human perception, emotion and desire, and the corporeal basis of agency, communication and thought. Habit and embodied practice are core concepts in his discussion, heavily grounding his arguments in the phenomenology of the body, and in sociological theory which includes the body. He claims that the notion of habitus (Bourdieu) is not working without a deeper … [Read more...] about Målfrid Råheim – The Social Body – 30DoS #8
Ralph Hammond – The theory of communicative action – 30DoS #7
If you are new to the CPN or this 30 Day of September campaign, we run a month of daily posts on a different topic each year. This year we are focusing on ideas, articles, books, films, etc., that have inspired members of the Network. There will be a different post from a different CPN member each day until the end of the month. In this post, longtime CPN member, researcher and lecturer Ralph Hammond talks about Jurgen Habermas's book The theory of communicative action. Spanish translation provided by CPN Exec member Alma Viviana Silva. The Theory of Communicative Action (1984) addresses social action, intersubjective communication and social change. It tries to preserve the … [Read more...] about Ralph Hammond – The theory of communicative action – 30DoS #7
Barbara Gibson – Embodying the monster – 30DoS #6
In this post, CPN co-founder and Exec member Barbara Gibson talks about Margrit Shildrick's book Embodying the monster. Spanish translation provided by CPN Exec member Alma Viviana Silva. Embodying the Monster is a feminist postmodern and historical reading of the monstrous body and the Western desire to eliminate aberration and vulnerability. Drawing on cultural theory, biomedical discourse and multiple historical and contemporary examples, Shildrick eloquently argues for a reconceived ethics of the body (and disability) that accepts the irreducible vulnerability of all persons. I was fortunate to take a course with Dr. Shildrick when she was in Canada and this book was our core … [Read more...] about Barbara Gibson – Embodying the monster – 30DoS #6