Hi Klaus,
I didn't really want to deny your point about advocacy groups but it
struck me that, when we are actually designing, groups concerned with
policy (and therefore only indirectly engaged with the environment*) are
not as interesting as individuals and groups who interact directly with
the environment. So gays are interesting because they may adopt some
different social/material practices and have some different priorities
from other people. Not only do I need to understand how my designing
affects them but, by amplifying or pioneering some issues, they may
shine a light that helps us understand the wider situation.
best
Chris
*I'm using "environment" in the very broad sense of "the stuff we are
creating and modifying - whether it is a physical artefact or a human
performance or something else" I'm trying to avoid the limited sense of
design being about the material world alone.
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