Reading - Week 4: Connor Stevens “battery”
The way he dissects the object in a variety of ways got my attention enough to decide the heading ‘objects and things’, the focus of my assessment. Exactly which direction I will take it could cover the relationships humans form with objects, the way we make value judgements of objects and ‘things’ or even some sort of deconstruction of aesthetics.
Stevens considers the meaning and value of ‘things’ in a modern sense, such as the everyday drained carton of milk, once highly valued now reduced to a’ flimsy husk’, in the context of a modern civilized society.
Is this because it holds not aesthetically pleasing values or because its use has expired? Both? Neither?
Couldn’t find any background information on Connor Stevens. Will have to explore the influences of another ‘thinker’ I employ later on.
Considering selecting a key cultural philosopher like Marx or Foucault, to utilize as a structure (use this individuals definitions and insights to explore a certain strand/concept), as meanings vary so widely.
I found the book ‘Biographical Objects: How Things Tell the Stories of People's Lives’ By Janet Hoskins a significant influence. The book is about how six men and women from Indonesia narrate their own lives through speaking about their possessions. From domestic objects to personal ones, they depict the 'things' as together forming their identity through 'self historicizing.'
Hoskins takes the position that objects and a persons opinion on them display the inner workings of a human. I would like to adopt a similar stance in my research assessments.
