[Xmca-l] Re: Life off grid - communitas?

[Huw Lloyd]

Well I would question that too, Larry.  What makes you think it is
either/or? It is possible to be interested in description without having
ones purview limited by it.

Best,
Huw

On 27 October 2015 at 17:07, Larry Purss <lpscholar2@gmail.com> wrote:

> Huw,
> I noticed the juxtaposition of description/discourse AS [anti]idea on one
> side with mediated knowledge generating powerful ideas WITHIN concrete
> activities on the other side.
>
> I question whether *discourse* actually straddles this either/or divide.
> Locating concrete activity AND discourse on the same side as the location
> for engendering the development of mediated knowledge. [including the
> mediated understanding of types of *discourse* coursing through
> architectures]
>
> On Tue, Oct 27, 2015 at 9:03 AM, Huw Lloyd <huw.softdesigns@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Yes, but I disagree with the hook-ups with the capacity for the sublime
> > wonder or notions of guilt and morality.  These are experienced, for
> sure,
> > but I think this is really something extra that is brought to the fray by
> > those with the freedom and capacity to be sensitive and responsive
> towards
> > it in their own idiosyncratic ways.  There seems to a rather large matter
> > of overlooking that the leviathon of 'humanity' is actually composed of
> > architectures we have yet to understand.  And, moreover, it is not the
> > object of wonder that induces wonder, but rather the capacities and
> > inclinations of the subject.
> >
> > The brief still point in the article (is it an article?) is the
> observation
> > and reminder that a great many people are in thrall of the idea of
> > unmediated knowledge, which is something to complement the usual
> anti-ideas
> > of simplicity and description.
> >
> > If we live in virtual sanitised worlds in which the small problems of
> > nature are kept at bay, we lose our sensitivity to anything of any
> greater
> > power.  For those people who have never elected to be curious, they
> really
> > do not have an option other than to respond to that which is happening to
> > them here and now.  The underlying theme here seems to be, again, the
> > disconnect between the (anti) idea of description (and discourse) and the
> > notion that psychological developments that equate to the the realisation
> > of powerful ideas such as mediated knowledge are dependent upon concrete
> > activity, which is about facing reality.
> >
> > Huw
> >
> >
> >
> > On 27 October 2015 at 14:55, Larry Purss <lpscholar2@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Mike, Huw, Greg,
> > > I have just read Latour's wonderful and provocative exploration of the
> > > disconnect between earth and earthlings and his sense that we have lost
> > the
> > > sense of the *sublime* and must search for an answer in
> > > rearranging emerging  assemblances imagined AS  nodes, tapestries, and
> > > weaving strands of being/becoming.
> > >
> > > Latour wants to "bridge" the gap [the disconnect] with earthlings on
> one
> > > side and Gaia on the other side. Gaia's fundamental feature is that of
> > the
> > > "trickster".
> > >
> > > Greg sent a link to living off the grid and asked if this expressed
> > > *communitas*? I experienced the examples as very heroic and trusting in
> > > being rugged individualism.
> > >
> > > I hope we can engage with this thread. I will point out that Latour
> > > emphasized there are no nodes, knots, weaves, and TAPESTRIES without
> the
> > > open spaces, and I want to call attention to this fact. My imaginal
> > *spaces
> > > as places* asks if we must envision SHARED LOCAL PLACES where there
> exist
> > > *inter (-) mediate* assembled assemblances  where the STRONG Ich
> [capital
> > > I] becomes the WEAK ich [small I] which opens up imaginal *third*
> spaces
> > > for *du* [intimate you]. Spaces of shared dialogue where Gaia as
> > > trickster/Hermes is honoured. A place of hope and dread with always a
> > gap.
> > > The place of intervals and "ma".
> > > Latour is engendering grand narratives/myths with *disconnects* [as
> > falling
> > > away from ...]. A neo-Platonic myth.
> > > Larry
> > >
> > > On Mon, Oct 26, 2015 at 5:09 PM, mike cole <mcole@ucsd.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > > It turns out that Wednesday in LCHC we are discussing Latour's
> article
> > on
> > > > waiting for Gaia. I attach it for those interested. It raises Huw's
> > > > concerns and multiplies them by a few terawatts.
> > > >
> > > > Just in time for Halloween!
> > > >
> > > > mike
> > > >
> > > > On Mon, Oct 26, 2015 at 4:27 PM, Huw Lloyd <
> huw.softdesigns@gmail.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > That looks like a compelling film, Greg.  Is 'off the grid' used
> > > > > metaphorically, i.e. is it about living away from societal norms,
> or
> > is
> > > > it
> > > > > principally about generating their own power etc?
> > > > >
> > > > > I have always thought it rather telling that the skills that
> society
> > at
> > > > > large tends to value the most (finance, entertainment) are
> invariably
> > > the
> > > > > most useless when it comes to living within a small community.
> > Maybe,
> > > > > maybe, this is because community is not something easily achieved
> > > outside
> > > > > of settings of co-dependence that are not mediated by money,
> > > > qualifications
> > > > > etc.
> > > > >
> > > > > Then again, one has to ask about the nature of a production
> > > documenting a
> > > > > more independent way of living whilst simultaneously reconnecting
> > with
> > > > > societal values by lugging a wide-lens camera around with
> > homesteaders
> > > at
> > > > > one end of the camera and a series of official film selection
> > > committees
> > > > at
> > > > > the other end of apparatus.  Is there some kind of hipster quality
> to
> > > > that,
> > > > > about being radically happy in the city centre or radically happy
> out
> > > in
> > > > > remote places, provided the umbilical chord isn't cut?  Or is it
> more
> > > > > simply communities celebrating their existence and survival --
> "we're
> > > > here
> > > > > and we do things differently".
> > > > >
> > > > > Either way, what seems to be interesting for me here is the change
> in
> > > > > meaning for basic skills and community values that seem to go hand
> in
> > > > hand
> > > > > with 'disconnecting'.
> > > > >
> > > > > Best,
> > > > > Huw
> > > > >
> > > > > On 25 October 2015 at 02:30, Greg Thompson <
> > greg.a.thompson@gmail.com>
> > > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Is this a new form of communitas:
> > > > > > http://lifeoffgrid.ca/
> > > > > > (link is to a 3 minute trailer for a movie about folks living
> life
> > > off
> > > > > the
> > > > > > grid)
> > > > > > Some of the folks seem to suggest so. Others maybe not so much.
> > > > > > -greg
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
> > > > > > Assistant Professor
> > > > > > Department of Anthropology
> > > > > > 880 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
> > > > > > Brigham Young University
> > > > > > Provo, UT 84602
> > > > > > http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > >
> > > > It is the dilemma of psychology to deal as a natural science with an
> > > > object that creates history. Ernst Boesch
> > > >
> > >
> >
>