WHAT ARE IDEAS MADE OF? ON THE SOCIO-MATERIALITY OF CREATIVE PROCESSES

This article explores the possibility that ideas are dynamic, socio-material and relational entities that come into existence with the help of materials and technologies. It starts from arguing that the popular understanding of ideas as immaterial entities (thoughts, concepts, insights) that we process mentally, communicate (symbolically) to others, and eventually realise is rooted in essentialist and representationalist philosophy and as such is not universal. It is then argued that an alternative understanding of what an idea is may be proposed within the relationist perspective that focuses our attention primarily on change and historicity. The article employs the concept of translation – borrowed from the actor-network theory – to propose that an idea is enacted slightly differently in every social situation and with the use of different materials and technologies. Importantly, the presented relational and socio-material interpretation emphasizes that it is not the “essence” of an idea but the translations it is subjected to that enable or constrain action possibilities and determine its evolution. Finally, it is proposed that following translations of ideas empirically may be a promising avenue for further research.

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Anaphoric Trajectories of Creative Processes

Advances in Media, Entertainment, and the Arts - Applying the Actor-Network Theory in Media Studies ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-0616-4.ch009 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 142-155

Author(s):

Sara Malou Strandvad

Keyword(s):

Cultural Production ◽

Network Theory ◽

Cultural Sociology ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

Creative Development ◽

Actor Network ◽

Creative Processes ◽

Production Studies ◽

Production Processes ◽

Development Processes

This chapter critically questions the strategy of applying the Actor-Network Theory to media studies. Arguing that an application of a fixed ANT-approach fundamentally opposes the ambition of Actor-Network Theory, this chapter outlines a different way of drawing inspiration from ANT. Based in the writings of the French cultural sociologist Antoine Hennion, who has been a pioneer in developing a cultural sociology inspired by ANT, and the recent writings of Bruno Latour addressing cultural production, the chapter suggests investigating the “anaphoric trajectories” of creative development processes. To illustrate this approach, the chapter analyzes the case of a failed film project and considers how the content of creative production processes may be incorporated into cultural production studies.

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Giant World of Monsters

Forskning i Pædagogers Profession og Uddannelse ◽

10.7146/fppu.v4i1.119211 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 15

Author(s):

Mikkel Snorre Wilms Boysen

Keyword(s):

Creative Process ◽

Network Theory ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

The Other ◽

Actor Network ◽

Creative Processes ◽

Creativity Research ◽

New Perspective ◽

Human Actors

ResuméInden for kreativitetsteori har der i de seneste 10 år været øget opmærksomhed omkring kreativitetens distribuerede og kollaborative aspekter. Først og fremmest har dette været udtryk for en epistemologisk drejning. Fra et fokus på individet har man således i stigende grad interesseret sig for, hvorledes kreativitet opstår som en konsekvens af et sammenspil mellem mennesker, materialer, teknikker, traditioner, m.m. Det nye perspektiv betyder ikke nødvendigvis, at velkendte pædagogiske metoder må forandres. På den anden side, er det oplagt at afsøge, hvilke potentialer denne nye optik kan tilbyde i forhold til at kvalificere pædagogisk rammesatte læringsmiljøer. Dette spørgsmål undersøges i denne artikel med afsæt i et autoetnografisk casestudie, hvor fire SFO børn udvikler et brætspil i sammenspil med en voksen. I casestudiet arbejder den voksne systematisk med at koble børnenes tanker og ideer til eksterne/interne netværk bestående af aktører, traditioner og materialer. Hermed benyttes kreativitetens distribuerede aspekt proaktivt med henblik på at kvalificere den innovative proces. Casestudiet peger på, at en sådan type didaktik er værdifuld i forhold til at fremme kreativitet og skabe nye typer af kollaborative fællesskaber mellem pædagoger og børn. Giant World of MonstersA case study of collaborative creative processes among children and adults promoted and analyzed through the lenses of actor-network theory and distributed creativity.Within the last ten to twenty years of creativity research, the focus on interaction and collaboration has increased. First of all, this development is promoted by a new epistemological approach, according to which creativity is viewed as something that is distributed among people, materials, techniques, traditions, etc. This relatively new perspective does not necessarily have to affect well-known pedagogical methods. On the other hand, it seems relevant to explore the pedagogical potentials, this new perspective might entail. In this article, the potential is explored through an autoethnographic case study, in which four schoolchildren (ages 10 to 11) develop a game in collaboration with an adult. In the process, the adult systematically establishes connections between the children’ ideas and external networks represented by human and non-human actors, such as books, materials, persons, games, etc. Thus, the distributed aspects of creativity are intentionally activated and highlighted in order to strengthen the creative process. The case study indicates that this type of pedagogy might be productive in terms of promoting creativity and establishing new types of relations between children and teachers/pedagogues.

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STRUCTURING A SUCCESSFUL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROCESS: A CASE STUDY FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF ACTOR NETWORK THEORY

Journal of Information and Communication Technology ◽

10.32890/jict.9.2010.8097 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Huda Ibrahim ◽

Hasmiah Kasimin

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Technology Transfer ◽

Transfer Process ◽

Network Theory ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Local Market ◽

Private Company ◽

Actor Network ◽

Technology Transfer Process

An effi cient and effective information technology transfer from developed countries to Malaysia is an important issue as a prerequisite to support the ICT needs of the country to become not only a ICT user but also a ICT producer. One of the factors that infl uences successful information technology transfer is managing the process of how technology transfer occurs in one environment. It involves managing interaction between all parties concerned which requires an organized strategy and action toward accomplishing technology transfer objective in an integrated and effective mode. Using a conceptual framework based on the Actor Network Theory (ANT), this paper will analyse a successful information technology transfer process at a private company which is also a supplier of information technology (IT) products to the local market. This framework will explain how the company has come up with a successful technology transfer in a local environment. Our study shows that the company had given interest to its relationships with all the parties involved in the transfer process. The technology transfer programme and the strategy formulated take into account the characteristics of technology and all those involved.

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The Action of Christian Buildings on their Chinese Environment

Studies in World Christianity ◽

10.3366/swc.2017.0179 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 100-121

Author(s):

Michel Chambon

Keyword(s):

Network Theory ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

Active Part ◽

Architectural Style ◽

Actor Network

This article explores the ways in which Christians are building churches in contemporary Nanping, China. At first glance, their architectural style appears simply neo-Gothic, but these buildings indeed enact a rich web of significances that acts upon local Christians and beyond. Building on Actor-Network Theory and exploring the multiple ties in which they are embedded, I argue that these buildings are agents acting in their own right, which take an active part in the process of making the presence of the Christian God tangible.

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Actor-Network Theory and Social Practice

Социологические исследования ◽

10.31857/s013216250009372-2 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 128-137

Author(s):

Irina Orlova ◽

Keyword(s):

Network Theory ◽

Social Practice ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

Actor Network

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The model of an intelligent information security control system for supply chains based on the spatial concepts of the actor-network theory

Informatization and communication ◽

10.34219/2078-8320-2020-11-5-94-106 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 94-106

Author(s):

Y.M. Iskanderov ◽

◽

M.D. Pautov

Keyword(s):

Control System ◽

Information Security ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Network Theory ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

Spatial Concepts ◽

Actor Network ◽

Information Security Management System ◽

Security Control ◽

Intelligent Information

Aim. The use of modern information technologies makes it possible to achieve a qualitatively new level of control in supply chains. In these conditions, ensuring information security is the most important task. The article shows the possibilities of applying the spatial concepts of the actor-network theory in the interests of forming a relevant intelligent information security management system for supply chains. Materials and methods. The article discusses a new approach based on the provisions of the actor-network theory, which makes it possible to form the structure of an intelligent information security control system for supply chains, consisting of three main functional blocks: technical, psychological and administrative. The incoming information security threats and the relevant system responses generated through the interaction of the system blocks were considered as enacting the three Law’s spaces: the space of regions, the space of networks and the space of fl uids. Results. It is shown that the stability of this system in the space of networks is a necessary condition for its successful functioning in the space of regions, and its resilience in the space of fl uids gained through the dynamic knowledge formation helps overcome the adverse effects of the fl uidity. The problems of the intentional / unintentional nature of information security threats, as well as the reactivity / proactivity of the corresponding responses of the intelligent information security management system for supply chains are investigated. Conclusions. The proposed approach showed the possibility of using such an interdisciplinary tool in the fi eld of information security as the concepts of the actor-network theory. The intelligent information security control system built on its basis ensures that almost all the features of solving information security problems in supply chains are taken into account.

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