Art. CHI 2015

The official catalog accompanying the Art.CHI 2015 workshop

Conflicts, integration, hybridization of subcultures: An ecological approach to the case of queercore

This paper investigates the case study of queercore, providing a socio-historical analysis of its subcultural production, in the terms of what Michel Foucault has called archaeology of knowledge (1969). In particular, we will focus on: the self-definition of the movement; the conflicts between the two merged worlds of punk and queer culture; the \u201cinternal-subcultural\u201d conflicts between both queercore and punk, and between queercore and gay\lesbian music culture; the political aspects of differentiation. In the conclusion, we will offer an innovative theoretical proposal about the interpretation of subcultures in ecological and semiotic terms, combining the contribution of the American sociologist Andrew Abbot and of the Russian semiologist Jurij Michajlovi\u10d Lotma

The face-to-face principle: science, trust, democracy and the internet

Remote communication is replacing face-to-face interaction in ways that could be disastrous for democracy and for the idea of truth. This book shows why face-to-face communication still matters and why it is essential for the survival of pluralist democracies. The nature of face-to-face interactions in small groups and society as a whole, and from primary socialisation to specialist training, is examined via examples including field studies, network analysis, blockchain and the malicious use of disinformation. The deep trust that face-to-face enables is contrasted with the ‘illusion of intimacy’ created by remote communication. The example of science is particularly important. As the institution most directly concerned with creating truth, it demonstrates the essential role of face-to-face interaction in the creation of knowledge and the values that are needed to sustain this. In protecting and promoting democracy, the challenge is relearning how to trust scientific experts and the other elite institutions that form the essential checks and balances of democratic society. Here we offer the simple rule: trust expert institutions that depend on small group interaction and that endorse the values of pluralist democracy

Heidegger's early ontology and the deconstruction of foundations

This dissertation is a polemical exegesis of Heidegger's 1920's position with respect to the foundational, extracting from his thought an original pre-conception of the foundational which does not conform to current patterns of Heidegger interpretation. This might be expressed as a rescuing of foundations from metaphysics. The first half of the dissertation concentrates on methodological idiosyncracies in the semantic, syntactic and macrostructural organisation of foundational ideas, an analysis which begins to yield a number of "patterns" embedded in the language and thinking of Heidegger, patterns which, for example, subvert the propositional and reverse the normal processes of understanding. These patterns are "paratypes", the tools of "disas-sembling" (the latter term describes that in Heidegger's thought which provides the original motivation for the later development of deconstruction). The second half of the dissertation applies and extends these findings in two directions: firstly, with respect to the internal development of the Sein und Zeit project, by exploring the coalescence of temporality and foundations; secondly, with respect to the direction and fate of the Sein und Zeit project, by exploring a limited number of "foundational" aspects (fugue, Kehre, Abgrund, Ereignis) of a single but singularly important writing from the 1930's: Beiträge zur Philosophie. In so doing the dissertation aims to bring out the Copernican thought-revolution in the early work, and to provide both the conceptual motivation and the methodological tools for a more farreaching reappreciation of Heidegger's early work. Thus the dissertation has consequences, not only for the foundational, but also for the language-thought problematic, for the possibility of overcoming metaphysics, for Heidegger's general development, and for the appraisal of the position of time in his work

Masked : depictions of anonymity in electronic dance music

This thesis explores anonymity as an aspect of identity construction within electronic dance music (EDM). Its specific focus is on the production and control of image within genres that have arisen since the development and expansion of the club scene in the UK from the latter part of the 20th century and, then situated in visual culture and performance research, its examination of anonymity represents an area that, to date, has been overlooked in EDM. As part of this investigation, the thesis’ chapters notably analyse elements that are external to music recordings including record sleeve design and press interviews: components that are essential elements in the development and distribution of these performative identities. Following Thornton (1995), Rietveld (1998), Hesmondhalgh (1998a) and Gilbert and Pearson (1999), the research critically reviews a range of issues that are determined as associated with these representations – including the influence of technologies, a resistance to mainstream assimilation and the impact of collective ‘scene’ – while explaining some of EDM’s distinctions and hierarchies within a post-subcultural setting. To do this it uses case studies focusing on the approaches of Daft Punk, Burial, Zomby and SBTRKT: examples that are presented as unique demonstrations of image construction within the field. It also places the role of identity within a more expansive history of electronic music by aligning contemporary practice with the earlier presented image of Kraftwerk.Ultimately, and while observing this lineage of often counterintuitive practices, the thesis argues that the EDM producer’s separation from the high visibility ‘star system’ model favoured by pop and rock performers reflects commitment to a marginal status: a commitment also communicated through its visual aesthetics that reinforce an underground cultural context to celebrate the peripheral whilst, simultaneously, highlighting the EDM producer’s perceived condition as that which is inferior to his or her rock counterpart

Trend assessment of changing climate patterns over the major agro-climatic zones of Sindh and Punjab

The agriculture sector, due to its significant dependence on climate patterns and water availability, is highly vulnerable to changing climate patterns. Pakistan is an agrarian economy with 30% of its land area under cultivation and 93% of its water resources being utilized for agricultural production. Therefore, the changing climate patterns may adversely affect the agriculture and water resources of the country. This study was conducted to assess the climate variations over the major agro-climatic zones of Sindh and Punjab, which serve as an important hub for the production of major food and cash crops in Pakistan. For this purpose, the climate data of 21 stations were analyzed using the Mann–Kendall test and Sen's slope estimator method for the period 1990–2022. The results obtained from the analysis revealed that, in Sindh, the mean annual temperature rose by ~0.1 to 1.4°C, with ~0.1 to 1.2°C in cotton-wheat Sindh and 0.8 to 1.4°C in rice-other Sindh during the study period. Similarly, in Punjab, the mean annual temperature increased by ~0.1 to 1.0°C, with 0.6 to 0.9°C in cotton-wheat Punjab and 0.2 to 0.6°C in rainfed Punjab. Seasonally, warming was found to be highest during the spring season. The precipitation analysis showed a rising annual precipitation trend in Sindh (+30 to +60 mm) and Punjab (+100 to 300 mm), while the monsoon precipitation increased by ~50 to 200 mm. For winter precipitation, an upward trend was found in mixed Punjab, while the remaining stations showed a declining pattern. Conclusively, the warming temperatures as found in the analysis may result in increased irrigation requirements, soil moisture desiccation, and wilting of crops, ultimately leading to low crop yield and threatening the livelihoods of local farmers. On the other hand, the increasing precipitation may favor national agriculture in terms of less freshwater withdrawals. However, it may also result in increased rainfall-induced floods inundating the crop fields and causing water logging and soil salinization. The study outcomes comprehensively highlighted the prevailing climate trends over the important agro-climatic zones of Pakistan, which may aid in devising an effective climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy to ensure the state of water and food security in the country

Staging Port Cities: Place and Nation in the Theatre of Yuyachkani, Bando de Teatro Olodum and Catalinas Sur.

PhDThis doctoral thesis examines theatre as a site for counteracting hegemonic representations of the nation. My focus is on three contemporary Latin American theatre companies and the ways in which they stage the sense of place of the port cities where they are based. By examining these groups’ explorations of the political and social imaginaries related to these ports, I aim to determine how theatre can challenge essentialised discourses of national identity. An examination of the Peruvian theatre group Yuyachkani allows me to look at the place of indigenous peoples in Lima. Through a discussion of Catalinas Sur, based in Buenos Aires, I highlight the cultural identities newly produced and those erased as a consequence of mid-nineteenth-century European immigration to the city. The focus on Bando de Teatro Olodum facilitates a consideration of struggles against racial discrimination towards Afro-Brazilians in Salvador, Bahia. I propose close readings of specific productions devised by these troupes that concentrate on three main topics. The first of these is migration, examining how foreigners have infused difference in these ports. The second theme looks at conceptions of time and the third considers notions of space. In all three cases the focus allows for a questioning of dominant discourses on modernity, order and progress. Such rhetoric has been equally predominant in Peru, Brazil and Argentina and has justified exclusivist accounts of the nation since the early histories of these republics. Through recourse to performance analysis, I examine theatre’s capacity to shift the focal point of interest towards the borders of mainstream society. My claim is that this perspective allows room for presences that have been historically rendered mute and also helps to draw attention to modes of social and political organisation that differ from those naturalised by national elites.Queen Mary University of London Society for Latin American Studies (SLAS, UK)

Retail and Community: Business, Charity and the End of Empire

Retail has never existed in a vacuum. This interdisciplinary volume explores how English commercial, co-operative and charity retailing were shaped by and in turn influenced their social and political environments, from the local and the global, between the late-nineteenth and early twenty-first centuries. Historians, sociologists, archivists and heritage professionals engage with current debates on the rise of modern business and the decline of the high street, class and credit, professionalisation in the voluntary sector, migration and the end of empire. This will be a key resource to better understand retail and community in an era defined by social change, shedding new light on the enduring centrality of community relationships to modern retailers

Drawing a line: the meaning of making, gifting, and solidarity in restorative justice processes

This practice-based research investigates the meaning of making, gifting, and solidarity as they manifest themselves within restorative justice (RJ) processes, and draws on the application of interaction ritual to RJ (Collins, 2004; Pemberton et al, 2017; Rossner, 2013; Strang et al, 2006). The most successful RJ encounters are the most emotional, and those that achieve collective solidarity between participants (Rossner, 2013). The positive emotional energy generated by solidarity may be prolonged beyond the moment of the RJ encounter through the creation of material symbols (Collins, 2004; Rossner, 2013). The particular question this research asks is whether or not a co-created design thing, handmade as part of a RJ process, could become such a material symbol, as there are potential links between long term positive emotional energy and a reduction in offending (Rossner, 2013). There is no other research in any discipline in this area. Different data collection methods, involving 26 participants, were adopted, including interviews, a workshop, and a longitudinal RJ case study based in a Scottish island community. This employed design thinking and co-creative making processes. The existing practice of the researcher as both a maker as well as a RJ practitioner was also utilized, and this generated a body of handmade work through a thinking through making process (Gray and Malins, 2004; Marshall and Wallace, 2017; Nimkulrat, 2012; Pajaczkowska, 2016). Making, gifting, and solidarity within RJ processes are found to share common characteristics, and the acts of making and gifting to be innately about the formation of solidarities. The gifted co-created design thing is further found to become a material symbol of solidarity by people harmed (victims) and by people responsible (offenders) in this study, and to offer a tangibility to the RJ process. This fulfils a lack of symbols in RJ, with potential significance for desistance and recovery (Maruna, 2001; Rossner, 2013). Gifting within RJ is, however, accompanied by obligations - that the recipient uses the gift, and the gifter (if a person responsible) transitions from offending. As an application of this research to RJ and design practice, the concept of Restorative T/thinging is proposed. This utilizes design thinking and co-creative making processes which are described as a step beyond, ‘design for RJ’ (Gamman and Thorpe, 2016), to design as RJ. As such, the author argues for the importance of designing for solidarity as a move beyond designing for empathy within RJ