Description
Book SynopsisEver since TIME magazine's 1983 Man of the Year' was the PC, we have been led to believe that our domestic spaces have been colonized by digital technology. Too little attention has been paid to the domestic spaces and inhabitants impacted by this, and critical posthumanism has been captured by a picture of humanity overly indebted to digital technologies and their largely male progenitors. By applying feminist theory to posthumanism, this work recovers the plethora of sophisticated human-technology mediations associated with the home and practiced primarily by women, the elderly, infants, the disabled and across cultures globally, challenging dominant, contemporary visions of a future humanity.
Authors Dennis M. Weiss and Colbey Emmerson Reid look at various iterations of the posthuman and assert the need for alternative, feminist readings that emphasize different standpoints from which to assess people, places, and products. Chapters address the impact of posthumanis
Trade Review
“As design begins the important project of defining its posthuman and more-than-human agendas, this book offers a timely domestic perspective centred upon relationality and care. In doing so, it upends conventional accounts of the future of the home and demonstrates, once again, that what may be is not yet determined” * Dr Brian Dixon, Head of Belfast School of Art *
“In an era filled with chatter about extraordinary technologies such as quantum computers, sentient AI, and cyborgs, we often find ourselves captivated by visions of a posthuman future emerging from these innovations. Designing the Domestic Posthuman stands out as an exceptional book because it takes a different path. Rather than focusing on these remarkable technologies, it delves into the realm of the ordinary, the everyday, and the domestic. Within its pages, the authors explore the world of appliances, pottery, and textiles, all under the premise that “home is a posthuman workshop.” This book offers a posthumanism accessible to all, one that embraces everyone, including even our grandmothers.” * Alberto Romele, Associate Professor of media studies, Sorbonne Nouvelle University *
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements Introduction: Designing the Domestic Posthuman Part 1: Posthuman Perons 1. Posthuman Parturition: An Origin Story 2. Domestic Posthuman Second Persons 3. Myths of Domestic Second Persons Part 2: Poshuman Artifacts 4. Softwear 5. (Un)homely Techne 6. Myths of Domestic Posthuman Artifacts Conclusion: A Design Sampler for the Domestic Posthuman References
