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PHD-DESIGN  June 2012

PHD-DESIGN June 2012

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Subject:

Re: Another part of theory of usability

From:

Francois Nsenga <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design <[log in to unmask]>

Date:

Tue, 5 Jun 2012 10:27:45 -0400

Content-Type:

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Dear Terry

I agree with you, there indeed is an opportunity for a timely and highly
pertinent PhD on what is perceived as "user's superstitions". I myself
wanted to embark on such a venture, immediately following submission of my
dissertation on 'daily use artefacts as full-fledged social actors', for my
Master's degree in Sociology in 2001. But thus far I have never had the
right opportunity to pursue the project. Below is a glimpse at the context
and perspective in which I wanted to tackle the topic; just in case this
may inspire further your student, or someone else on the list wishing to
take over.

To me, the context of the topic you raised is, first, both sociological and
psychological, and artifactual in a second instance.

In a socio-psychological perspective, the core of the issue is the ever
lasting divide in human societies the world over, between the ruling elite
and the rest of the ruled population. As we all know, this kind of human
relationship is based on the former mystifying the latter as a means to
efficiently 'perform' the ruling; i.e. having this 'domination' easily and
benevolently accepted by the 'populace'. By all means, both soft and if
needed harsh ones, the elite makes its myths strongly believed by the
ruled, to the point that the entire ways of life of every individual are
conducted along the diktat of those myths. Thus completely mystified,
individuals become superstitious, i.e. life conduct not based on
'objective', pristine and imperative local chemo-physical environmental
conditions. And superstitions hold as long as myths of a particular elite
groups hold. The elite changes, superstitions change respectively.

Among many world cases of such a mystification by the elite, here in West
we all are daily experiencing what is known as "clericalism", the medieval
scholastic and the current scientific (1).

The European medieval clerical mythology was mainly based on the
judeo-christian dogmas enounced and reinforced by the then ruling class
through hordes of courtiers and clerks. And history books are replete with
accounts of corresponding superstitions by the mystified and mesmerized
'populace'. Many of the dogmas and superstitions thus initiated in the
Middle Ages Europe are still strongly part of the current *modus
vivendi*here in the West and, since the 16th century, they are on the
verge of
becoming global the world over.

To the medieval religious and divine monarchy power and dogmas, relayed to
the populace through the function of the ecclesiastic and nobility clergy,
there has been added, since the 15th - 18th century in European, the
mundane bourgeois elite power and dogmas based on material wealth
accumulation and conspicuousness(2). The scientific-bureaucratic middle
class has then been instituted to act, and still acting as intermediary
spreading, reinforcing and perpetuating those dogmas and superstitions.

One of the current major bourgeois dogmas, conveyed via
scientific-bureaucracy, is that any human action should be conducted in
plain own 'enlightened' conscience, and not under the influence of any sort
of superstition. All human acts should be reasoned and 'objectively'
planned. And scientific and technical experts ('modern' breed of clerks) in
'properly' reasoning and planning of human actions are purposely trained
and are largely made available to whoever, elite or commoner, is in need of
their expert services; most of the time for a fee, and on rare occasions as
a 'free' service to community. Again, as in the Middle Ages, the entire
'modern' mystification scheme is presented to the populace as one of the
unavoidable necessities, if one wants to 'eternally' enjoy a 'good' life.
No good life if not by the way of the expert services, even for the most
banal of human act. But, contrary to the overt bourgeois aim, the hidden
reality is that this myth of congenital incapacity for every human
individual to ensure one's good life has resulted in new types of popular
superstitions . Far away from the days of individual self-sufficiency, or
from those days when one relied on local artisans, since the last three
centuries industrialism has imposed on all avenues of life the unfathomable
expertise by scientists and technicians, quite akin to prestidigitation to
non-scientists lay persons.

One among the currently triumphant prestidigitator experts is the designer,
a 'product' of the industrialist ideology. Whether a reasoning 'concepteur'
of mass produced artefacts, a technician planning the industrial production
of these latter, or a stylist of their interface with users, these experts
concur to put in the hands of the layperson (named 'consumer' by
economists, another category of experts proponent of the same ideology)
several series of "black boxes" to use. Most of the time without sufficient
and clear explanation of what the box is, what it contains, nor how to use
it best. It has been instituted that the expert designer be trained, hired
and remunerated - by the ruling elite -  to help 'produce' and/or sale
manufactured artefacts, and not to educate the 'consumer' or users! As
mentioned above, these latter are presumed endowed with an innate ability
to "rational choice" and rational use of artefacts. And if needed, they
should be further trained to rationalize all their reactions and actions.
But in reality, most of the acts, behavior and relations, both practical
and psychological, of users, especially towards and with black-boxed
manufactured artefacts, are rather based on nothing but pure superstition
and...serendipity!

The list provided by Jaime Henriquez of superstitious behaviors by users of
computers is the actual epitome of the double effect of mystification by
the ruling elite, via the reasoned and planned performance of remunerated
scientific and technical clerks. The 'modern' mystification, and the
resultant new superstitions, started through the generalized outcomes of
18th-19th century physicists, chemists, and all sorts of engineers
embodying scientific data into daily use artefacts. In dealing with those
artefacts, we, the populace, having no other alternative, we become used to
more or less live harmoniously with those Trojan horses. Institutionalized
as they are, these are true mediated social actors. And specifically
regarding computers, to many among us who are neither programmers nor
computer wizards, these artefacts, more and more ubiquitous, are real
'black boxes'. Many individuals of my pre-computer age try by all means to
avoid, whenever it is possible, the use of those strange things, no matter
how 'friendly' they are made. And those among us who can't do otherwise, we
use them at a tiny fraction of their full capacity. And when the use
relationship is broken or goes wrong for some reasons unknown to the
non-expert, and this happens so often, either we call for help from the
experts when accessible (provided we have enough money to pay for the
exorbitant fees, and/or we understand the hermetic jargon) , from younger
computer-age generations (children and grand-children do much better, also
some times help desk and friends); or...we just go without the full
services we are supposed to enjoy! Thus frustration yields either
resignation, fantasy (anthropomorphism), and reinforced superstitions...(3)

In an artefactual perspective, in my other dissertation for a Master's
degree in Design (1979), I attempted to address the issue (indirectly and
lightly raised in this post) of generalized miscommunication between
material artifacts (no ubiquitous computers at that time!) and users of
these. In my submission, I emphasized the urgent need, on one hand, to
train better designers in communicating complete - including use -
artefacts related information to users; and on the hand, to train all
users, (i.e. not only direct operators), to relate better  (i.e. not
superstitiously) to designed artefacts. I was then inspired by Michel
Jullien's (4) proposal that Design expertise, instead of being confined
only around artefacts production and sales, rather it should be extended as
well to knowing better and responding to all users' - not only operators -
concerns, while considering all various contexts of respective use of
artefacts, including the outer physical and other socio-cultural
environments (5).

Definitely more than one PhD projects further to the above!

Francois
Montreal


(1) CALAME, Matthieu
LETTRE OUVERTE AUX SCIENTISTES. Alternatives démocratiques à une idéologie
cléricale
Editions CL Mayer, 2011
ISBN 978 2 84377 160 6 , 149 pages

(2) VEBLEN, Thorstein
*Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study in the Evolution of
Institutions*. (1899)
Macmillan, N.Y., 1902; London, 1915, 400 pages
Also:  Dover, 1994 (paperback edition, ISBN
0-486-28062-4<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0486280624>),
and Penguin, 1994 (Classics edition, ISBN
0-14-018795-2<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0140187952>
)

(3) UYS, Jamie (Film Writer and Director)
THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY, 1980

(4) JULLIEN, Michel
Le Domaine de l’usage : Relations Objets/Usagers/Milieu, IF
(Industrialisation Forum), Vol. 9, (1978), No. 2-3 ; Cahier de l’Isuc No. 1.

(5) BAICHWAL, Jennifer (Film Director)
MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES, 2006
<514%20737%208300>

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