weekly INCITE

Objects and words for 4S

September 8th, 2008 kat

Nina and I recently attended the 4S – The society for the Social Studies of Science 2008 conference conference in Rotterdam. Nina exhibited objects and I gave a paper.

Nina’s objects first.

Two Tails

The companion species of Science and Technology Studies are proliferating. Here are two extracts – two tails of STS at this conference. The lion, appearing as a symbol of the Netherlands via the Rotterdam coat of arms, is reduced to a long stuffed tail. It is no longer threatening ‘Stronger Through Struggle’ – the motto of the Rotterdam lion – but rather has been reduced to being one end of a strange fabric entity made of only tails. Instead of a body, attached on the other end is a mass of fake coyote tail. In recognition of Donna Haraway’s formulation of ‘nature as coyote’, the coyote would surely appear on any coat of arms for 4S. Yet the coyote is most prized by hunters for its tail, shown as trophies and used to decorate hats. Here both tails are expanded, faked in synthetics, constructed so that they might almost function as cushions, or maybe allow a tug of war. They could perhaps be the remnants of a sewing class, now brought to be the new trophies for someone attempting to ‘act with’ STS metaphors.

My paper was on the role of mess in the making of WiFi.

The STS of visual representations in science, law and engineering clearly illustrate the sociological value of images and the practices that surround them. In these contexts, graphs, photos and sketches are seen as pivotal in understanding how practitioners construct knowledge, collaborate, reach consensus, recruit new members and do work. In essence, their persuasive power stems from the transformation of mess that occurs behind-the-scenes (raw materials, repetitive experiments and alternative interpretations) into finely honed, ordered, compatible and comparable visual accounts. The result is designed to omit the uncertainties and contingencies of everyday practice. Drawing on ethnographic observation and participation in a volunteer community wireless group in Australia I consider the visual methods members employ in the design of a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network. Specifically I focus on how they retain elements of multiplicity and unpredictability and show how they make WiFi because of uncertainty and ambiguity, not in spite of it. From this position I argue that mess is not a consequence of this fragile technology or the elastic nature of the volunteer community but a deliberate practice and core strength of the group, critical to how they innovate.

Entry Filed under: Conferences,Design,Wireless technology research,travel