This culture problem seems to be my entry point to a vital
discussion…stating what value a culture has because of its products is to
me a very surface evaluation for lots of reasons. One view of culture is as
a dynamic and constantly changing information/entity that carries vital
life information across generations.
Cultural knowledge can be very contextually reliant…for example a yogi has
a much better chance of achieving flight in the yogi's context (a
meditation cave) than an F18 has… this often causes cross-cultural
comparisons to be meaningless. Because of the human basis of these
knowledge formations their value also transcends boundaries…the pilot of an
F18 finds yoga (the yogi's knowledge) vital for his professional
effectiveness and physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.
Perhaps a to carry this example further we could look at the way we are
teaching the materials that constitute a flying machine to evolve (self
reconstruct). This may be evident through design history that has commenced
with the hand built kite and is currently employing 'intelligent design
software' in building an 'intelligent system machine' that may eventually
lead to a self designing (evolving) symbiotic flying thing…and we would
hope such a thing, if it eventuates, has human values. Perhaps the yogi's
system of self-knowledge through action-control routines may then provide a
basis for a 'machine in environment values program' …not a really clear
example to state that if we dismiss knowledge contexts we cease to know the
possibilities we limit.
These examples are a bit too shallow for me because they only describe the
relations of power that exist in the passing social contexts we invent.
I think the DESIGN matter for investigation is the many ways in which
information becomes action and action becomes information (often through
artefacts) in the design action space…
Norm
At 04:23 7/11/00 -0500, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>
>Totally agree,
>
>being and emotion are reflected in the taste of a society - that taste often
>dictates a design success - and following from success the overall
direction of
>design.
>
>Glenn Johnson
>
>
>
>
>mary catharine johnsen <[log in to unmask]> on 11/07/2000 03:47:26 PM
>
>Please respond to mary catharine johnsen <[log in to unmask]>
>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>cc: (bcc: Glenn Johnson/BEA)
>
>Subject: thought/action
>
>
>
>
>>From a lurker:
>
> In the discussion of thought and action, is there
>room for "being" and "emotion"? Are being and emotion
>included in both thought and action, or are they something
>else, or does it depend on the culture or time period?
>To me, design is often about being and emotion.
>
>Mary Kay Johnsen, Special Collections and Design
>Librarian, Carnegie Mellon University
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Attachment Converted: "c:\program files\eudora\staff account\attach\att1.eml"
>
[log in to unmask]
Norman Sheehan
Senior Research Officer
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit
University of Queensland
Brisbane Old 4072 Australia
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