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Material Networks
Topic outline
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Breidenstein, Georg, Stefan Hirschauer, Herbert Kalthoff, and Boris Nieswand. 2013. “Praktiken der Datengewinnung.” In Ethnografie: die Praxis der Feldforschung, 71–107. UTB 3979. Konstanz: UVK Verlagsgesellschaft.Cook, Ian. 2004. “Follow the Thing: Papaya.” Antipode 36 (4): 642–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8330.2004.00441.x.Dumit, Joseph. 2014. “Writing the Implosion: Teaching the World One Thing at a Time.” Cultural Anthropology 29 (2): 351–54. https://doi.org/10.14506/ca29.2.09.Hutton, Jane. 2019. “Arresting Decay, Tropical Hardwood from Para, Brazil.” In Reciprocal Landscapes: Stories of Material Movements, 1st ed., 188–215. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2020.: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315737102.Jarzombek, Mark. 2019. “Overgrowth - Mark Jarzombek - The Quadrivium Industrial Complex.” E-Flux. November 2019. https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/overgrowth/296508/the-quadrivium-industrial-complex/.Latour, Bruno. 2004. “Why Has Critique Run out of Steam? From Matters of Fact to Matters of Concern.” Critical Inquiry 30 (2): 225–48. https://doi.org/10.1086/421123.Le Guin, Ursula K., and Donna Haraway. 2019. The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction. London: Ignota Books.Roux, Hannah le, and Gabrielle Hecht. 2020. “Accumulation - Hannah Roux et al. - Bad Earth.” E-Flux. August 2020. https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/accumulation/345106/bad-earth/.
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The students bring 3 printed pictures (DIN A4) to the first appointment for
- something that promises short-term profit
- something that has been lost
- a place of production
The students choose their own photographs to which they have a connection and not internet images.
In order to get to know each other and at the same time get into the course topic, they will have 1 minute per picture to explain why they chose it and what it tells us, in the style of a Pecha Kucha.
-What is profit?
-Who is profiting?
-What are the positive and negative aspects of these situations?
-What losses and opportunities do the pictures show? -
The geologist and chairman of the Anthropocene Working Group, Jan Zalasiewicz, presents his model "The Anthropocene Square Meter" (2019) at the Critical Zone Panel Discussion.
The film clip [link below; minute 7:30 -17:55] can be used to discuss the extent of Anthropocene interdependencies.
- Is this view of the earth new/surprising to you?
- Where do we stand in the construction industry in relation to this?
- What challenges are derived from this? -
The aim of this exercise is to develop and discuss current demands for change in the construction industry based on the three proposed projects/initiatives. This involves demands for other forms of planning and construction production as well as reflection on disciplinary ideals and working cultures.
Architects for future - A solidarity movement of architects within the movement Fridays for Future. They work in the construction industry, engage on a voluntary and non-profit basis in the movement and at association level and are committed to sustainable change in the construction industry.
Bauhaus Earth - A manifesto and call to action for the construction industry to stop benefiting humans and to consider other species living on our planet.
CCA - The story of young architects entering the industry and the impact their work has on the environment.
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The students read the text by Jane Hutton "Arresting Decay" for the next meeting. The text is a central reference of the course and illustrates how a scientific text can be linked to an exciting narrative.
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Students will bring a place/material that raises ethical, political and/or social issues/concerns/implications. This will help them to find a topic for further exploration in the seminar.
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The students begin with a discussion of Jane Hutton's text and then turn their attention to Bruno Latour's concept of "matter of concern" in relation to their places/materials.
Bruno Latour was a French sociologist and athropologist, whose work stands out for its emphasis on the intricate and diverse connections among humans and nonhumans. He argued that scientific knowledge needs tracing the interwoven networks of actors involving a multitude of entities, ranging from laboratory animals and established scientific literature to human researchers, experimental subjects, among others. This perspective, labeled as actor-network theory, rapidly extended its influence beyond the confines of Latour's (and John Laws, Madeleine Akrichs et al.) original domain of science and technology studies.
-What are the empirical aspects of the text?
-Where does the author take her arguments from and how does she include observations from practice? -
Students read "Quadrivium Industrial Complex" by Jarzombek, Mark from 2019, published in e-flux Architecture, Overgrowth.
Mark Jarzombek is Professor of the History and Theory of Architecture at MIT. He works on a wide range of topics – both historical and theoretical. He is one of the leading advocates for global history and has published several books and articles on that topic. -
Students read pages 351 - 354 (Dimensions) from "Writing the Implosion" by Joseph Dumit from 2014 and create a mental map of the following three dimensions:
- their knowledge
- gaps
- sources
Joseph Dumit is a Chair of Performance Studies, Professor and former director of Science and Technology Studies and Professor of Anthropology at the University of California Davis. His research asks how exactly we came to think, do and speak the way we do about ourselves and our world.
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Students register with ChatGPT and bring a mobile device to the next session. Optionally, another similar AI tool can be used.
The students have ChatGPT write a material story with about 1000 words and mark text sections in the following four colors:
Yellow = plausible,
Green = not verifiable,
Red = problematic,
Blue = impulse
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The students engage in a discussion on their ChatGPT texts, giving examples of the color-coded text excerpts that were interesting.
- Does the text meet your expectations?
- Which aspects are problematic?
- Which parts of the text could you use in your term paper?
- What can the use of ChatGPT or other AI tools be helpful for? -
Die Studierenden diskutieren den Text von Mark Jarzombek.
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The students discuss the text by Joseph Dumit by starting with their chosen dimensions and then share their Mental Maps.
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Depending on the academic approach (e.g. historical or ethnographic) for your course, input on the methodological approach may be useful.
The formal rules (possibly as part of a style guide) for the term paper can also be discussed. Any questions regarding submission can also be clarified.
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The instructor describes the process of researching using search terms and finding suitable sources. The library staff, if joining the session, can then introduce the various resources that the university has access to, e.g. databases and ways to find sources in the library. This can be a moment of building a contact zone with the library team, if students are not used to approach library as a place of research.
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After the students identify a material they would like to investigate, it is important to gain access to the field of research. Examples of starting points can include local production places where the material is being used or processed, associations working to promote the material, environmental activists and researchers publishing on the topic. It is advisable to share with the students, that not every actor will be excited talk to them and to start by establishing a broad point of contact, reaching out to multiple stakeholders and formulating their requests in a careful way, particularly if contacting industry professionals who profit from the usage of the material.
The instructor shall introduce the students to the consent agreements, clarifying what legal implications their research could have and introducing clean practices of data collection such as field reports, protocols and audiovisual recordings.
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The students decide on their research topic, establish access to the field and prepare their first field report in written form. Around one A4 page of written text is recommended.
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Students prepare the written parts of their term paper with the aim of having a complete draft version of the paper ready for the final critique.
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The instructor introduces the concept of Open Access, describing the legal implications of usage of intellectual property and shares resources for finding Open Access visual material.
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1. Content (appropriate topic and elaboration of relevance in the context of the seminar, independence of thoughts and processing, concise thematic focus, meaningful structure, etc.)
2. Quality and appropriateness of the free format (targeted and thematically appropriate use of image / sound / video, etc.)
3. Research / Analysis (breadth and depth, elaboration of complexity, demonstration of connections, conciseness, added value, etc.)
4. Scientific work (handling of sources (e.g. interviews, literature, observation), documentation of field research, etc.)
5. Formal preparation (quality of language and targeted use of stylistic devices, correct implementation of the style guide, scope, etc.).
The rules of scientific work must be followed.