Dear Klaus and others,
In all its humbleness the bump--that is just a pile of concrete on the road--still entails engineering and planning (design) achievements including road infrastructure (a huge term that can be further opened up), material innovation in the invention of concrete and cement, social and cultural factors related what is the purpose of the road, and so on.
Among the examples that Vygotsky used to illustrate the concept of mediation is the one of tying a knot around a finger to remember something. Vygotsky argued how the use of such simple devices might afford “change in the psychological structure of the memory process” (39). The term used in the Harvard U. 1978 edition is “effect”, as Lubomir has noted mediation has effects. But here I am cautious of the terms I use because I am aware that I am reading a translation. Also, I do not want to bring forth the whole cause and effect legacy.
As Vygotsky explained, the use of memory aids "extend[s] the operation of memory beyond the biological dimensions of the human nervous system and permit it to incorporate artificial, or self-generated, stimuli, which we call signs. This merger, unique to human beings, signifies an entirely new form of behavior” (39). I think that here Vygotsky was pointing to the notion of extended cognition, a term which he mentions elsewhere in the volume.
A key issue is the fact that human cognition does extend itself into the realm of the material culture through which we build our world. This is not to say that material culture is equivalent to humans. They are of a different order: Humans are biological entities with ‘consciousness’ and material culture artefacts are artificial. But our consciousness is very much imbricated in the material culture that we create, to the point that I would argue it would not exist (in the same manner) without it.
Clearly the bump is not a conscious entity, so in a sense it does not have agency. It is not impossible to image a future in which sensor enhanced bumps anticipante and react changing their form in accordance to the speed and weight of the vehicle. Does this mean that the bump will be conscious? I do not think so. But among the interesting things that are happening now via science, design and arts collaboration is that the artificial and biological are coming together. I think that a lot of the things that Terry speaks about are in these areas. A big problem I see here is the confusion that ensues in attributing one order characteristics of the other. Especially when at the bottom of it all what is there consists of very complicated discoursive structures created to shield economic and political domination by humans.
By virtue of its presence, at the moment when the car goes over the concrete/cement and tar bump constrict navigation on the road by 1. Together with the signs on the road alerting the driver of its upcoming presence 2. Indirectly prompting the driver to modifying his/her speed, with the hopeful result of a safer road. Yes, I would argue that (from a design perspective) the bump is a mediating artefact between the (most likely unaware) driver and everything (all the systems that go into the planning and making the road as is). Does that mean that the bump has agency? Here I would say that agency is a term used to describe human involvement in the world. The world as it is now (in its unfortunate state) is very much entangled in a relational state with human behavior.
I am very much in favor of Klaus’ stress on the notion of discourses and how design is very much about discourse creation. To me discourses are very much like systems (another post).
Best regards,
Lily
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Dr. Lily Diaz-Kommonen
Professor of New Media
Aalto University, School of Arts, Design
and Architecture, Department of Media
Otakaari 1, Room A-114
Otaniemi, 20150 Finland
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From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Krippendorff, Klaus <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 3:08 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: On Characterization of Agency - Was 'The Uselessness of Agency in Design Theory'
Dear Lilly,
It's always nice to hear from you.
I think the mediation concept is somewhat rubbery. For whom does the speedbump mediate?
The driver knows she may ruin her car by driving too fast over an obstacle on the road.
She may also know that speedbumps are installed to slow the speed of traffic.
The speedbump has no clue what it is or what it mediates between its designer and driver.
You point out a key concept by asking who is responsible for the speedbump. The best way to find out is to trace the decisions that produced the speedbump. It rarely is a single designer who had the idea. Usually such ideas emerge in conversations among many stakeholders each of which would have be accountable for their contribution. The speedbump cannot be held accountable for the drivers’ misery.
The issue needs to be generalizable. Your living room has walls. An architectural firm specified them maybe long time ago. Would it make sense to say that the walls mediate between a long dead architect. I would say no.
The agency responsible for it is dead.
Best wishes
Klaus
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Diaz-Kommonen Lily
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2020 8:58 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: On Characterization of Agency - Was 'The Uselessness of Agency in Design Theory'
Dear Klaus, François, and others who are engaged in this most interesting post.
Following the example of the Bump… For someone who has a relational perspective regarding ontology, the bump mediates the trajectory and experience of the human. As François already pointed, a key question is not whether the object has agency, but when? In the end, of course it is still the human who designs (and is responsible) for the bumps, and the bullets).
BR. Lily
************************
Dr. Lily Diaz-Kommonen
Professor of New Media
Aalto University
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Otakaari 1, Espoo 02150 Finland
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
https://sysrep.aalto.fi
NEWS###############
ADAPTATION AND CONVERGENCE OF NEW MEDIA.
‘High’ Culture Intermediality versus Low Culture Intermediality Lily Díaz, Magda Dragu and Leena Eilitta (Editors) Aalto ARTS Books
Lee, J., Díaz-Kommonen, L., Yu X. 2019. “Applying Embodied Design Improvisation for Physical Interaction in Augmented and Virtual Reality”, in Archives of Design Research, Korean Society of Design, 32(2)5-17.
On 19 Jul 2020, at 14.43, Francois Nsenga <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Dear Klaus
Wouldn't it be helpful to conceive Agency - has it ever been conceived this way?? - as direct, and/or mediated? At occasions mediated through other humans and through non-humans, and very often through tools?!
It is in this latter sense - of Agency somehow modified through translation
- that I understood Latour's and Terry's concept of agency.
Wrong or right??
A commoner's thought!
Greetings,
François
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