Claire's Cutlural Analysis

The “Baily Bungalow” – Infill Affordable House in the South park Historic District in Raleigh, NC – Designed by David Maurer

Through my investigation of this home, I want to gain an understanding of how the subcultures of historic preservation and affordable housing influenced the design and construction. I plan to assess this house in terms of the user, maker, and image. Maurer is the user of this image because he designed this home without a specific end user in mind; therefore, Maurer uses himself as a theoretical user of this space. I will use the floor plan to assess the meanings of the user. The builder who chooses this plan to build at a particular location and which materials to use is the maker of this image, and the material and location of the home will be used to understand the meanings of the maker. The image of the house is reminiscent of a craftsman bungalow, and the form, fenestration, and relationship to the bungalow will be used to assess the meanings of the image.

see image in earlier post: http://materialmediaculture.blogspot.com/2010/02/merging-of-subcultures-affordable.html

Mar. 4 discussion questions

“Technological Systems and Some Implications with Regard to Continuity and Change” by W.David Kingery

Kingery’s article discusses technologies in terms of classification and in the study of artifacts. One thing he said that intrigued me was, “Aesthetics are particularly important in understanding the invention and acceptance of new technologies.” Is this true? Is our acceptance of new technology based so much on how this technology looks? Why?

“Globalization as Hybridization” by Jan Nederveen Pieterse

Pieterse discusses the concept of globalization as a result of the hybridization of cultures rather than from a westernization perspective (in which the Western world has influenced the cultures of non-western societies). He says basically that parts of various cultures have mixed with parts of other cultures to create these hybridized cultures. How does Pieterse’s perspective relate to Hebdige’s view of cultures and subcultures?

Feb 25 summary

It was Postmodern week! In class we worked in our reading groups to breakdown our readings according to three areas: body, technology, and empire. My group's readings were as follows:
--Werbel's essay about the Foley Food Mill focused on how the food mill represented women's social and cultural role as nurturers. The body was represented by a mother's role in nurturing her children's bodies. Technology appeared through scientific studies on nutrition, and the social concept of women as nurturers served as empire.
--Leone and Little's essay about the Maryland State House and Peale's images of the Natural History Museum placed the individual in the role of empire, with the job of watching the state. The individual was also important to the body in that the positioning of the state house required individuals to view the house from many different roads. The state building and the use of excavation techniques by Peale served as examples of technology.
--Poster's article placed identity as a central concept. The virtual world (virtual reality and the Internet) serves in the role of empire due to the power it has over individual identities. As new technologies form (i.e., the Internet) we create new identities (think Facebook). Technology also affects the body by creating interfaces, opportunities to communicate face-to-face without sharing the same space.

3.4 Questions

In Appadurai's work, he talks about the Globalization and Americanization that has taken place. He states in the example of the Filipinos, that their present is our past, and our present is their future, yet our past is a modality of our present. This is saying that America's past is simply another countries present, if they are following the Americanization process. Yet, he also points out that the US is no longer the main driving force of globalization. The media has become a new landscape bringing the world within our grasp. So, is it true that globalization and westernization/Americanization are the same thing? Or was it once true, but now media has taken the place of westernization? With the technology that has started to drive our lives has this also put the globalization into hyper drive? The Filipinos are emulating our musical culture as Appadurai states, yet is this the westernization taking place or an effect of the media culture that is so readily available with the explosion of technology?

In Soutter's work, she discusses a family heirloom that she received, and progresses to tell about the different meanings that the material and photograph could/did mean. She discusses the mourning jewelry, and the different fashions that the necklace may have gone through. In the end of her essay, she states that it connects her to her ancestors and all of their achievements. This article is a good one to get you started on thinking about your project for this class, it got me to thinking, as she is describing the number of generations this item had passed, what about my yearbook? Don't we all have objects that we hold on to for their sentimental value? The yearbook for me connects me to the past of Salem College and the women who had gone through the same traditions I had experienced. But what do we really know about the history of our objects and heirlooms? Can we really ever understand the context that they have passed through? What about the heirlooms we will pass on, will those be understood and appreciated for what they were meant to be?

reading assignments for 04mar10

last week of "big" readings....

all : durham+kellner 579-583

annie/suzanne : durham+kellner 584-603, prown+haltman 213-228
kaytee/micah : durham+kellner 604-625, prown+haltman 109-128
sam/erin : durham+kellner 626-657, prown+haltman 93-108
claire/serena : durham+kellner 658-680, lubar+kingery 215-230
melanie/michelle : durham+kellner 681-702, luber+kingery 182-196
sarah/emmanuel : durham+kellner 703-725, xxi-xxxviii

everyone should post one prompt/question for each reading by wednesday, 03 mar 10 at 5pm.

reporters from today = one per group, group choice

bring with you to class = one three-dimensional object that represents globalization in our every day world

The project will be focusing on an antique flycatcher. The flycatcher is located in the antebellum mansion of Blandwood in the dining room. Within the paper I will examine health concerns that developed in antebellum America, the aesthetic of the fly catcher and the creation of the device itself. The paper will also focus on the placement of the dinning room in comparison with the rest of the house. The project will also examine other methods in which antebellum America prevented flys and other bugs from bothering the household.

Formal Place Setting

I plan to investigate the evolution of the place setting, as defined by the Emily Post Institute, to the Formal Place Setting. I want to know what led to the practice of multiple courses, the role of each necessary piece, and the etiquette associated with the practice, as told by the place setting. I will not conisder a paticular pattern to remain compltly objective of each piece and their generic relationship to the practice.