Histories of Knowledges Blog

Outside the Text

2006-11-30T13:26:00.001-05:00

Today in class we will be watching Derrida.

Final Alternative Media Project

2006-11-30T12:44:00.000-05:00

Your final project for this class is to translate one of your previous two papers into an alternative media.

Your aim is to express in this new medium your thesis from one of your two papers and to capture in some form other than writing its arguments, discussion, and conclusions. It might be drawings, video, paint, performance art, web pages, photographs, dance, music, theater, cooking, landscaping, cartoons, sculpture or any other media you can imagine other than writing (or simply reading what you have written). Where appropriate, you may wish to collaborate with a small group of your classmates.

You will present your translated paper to the class for discussion during our regularly scheduled final exam period: Friday, December 8, 3:00-5:30 p.m.

You must also hand in the original, graded copy of the paper you are working from on the day of the presentation.

You will be graded on the quality and originality of your creation as well as on its connections with your original paper and thesis.

Be bold. Be creative. Be clear.

Second Paper Topics

2006-11-09T15:30:00.000-05:00

Write a well written, well argued paper on any one of the topics below. Your paper is due by the end of class time, Tuesday, 11/28, in my box in LLA 111. Late papers will be docked one-third of a letter grade for each day late. Feel free to make full use of the Writing Center in 008 Belk Library.

Your paper should be typed, double-spaced in a 12-point font with standard margins.
It should be a minimum of 3 full pages and a maximum of 5 pages in length.
There should be a cover page including an original and informative title for your paper, your name, this course, my name and the date.
There should be a bibliography with MLA references for any works cited in the paper.
Papers should be stapled in the upper left-hand corner. No binders or folders please.
Pages should be numbered.
Keep a copy of your paper.

1. Compare and contrast Trinh’s writing about writing with Velazquez’s painting about painting as discussed in Foucault’s “Las Meninas.” For Trinh, what political issues hinge on these issues of representation and its limitations? How might these political issues be relevant to writings from within your own concentration/discipline/major/minor? Explain.

2. Write yourself. Making explicit use of Trinh, “write yourself” in three to five pages (Trinh 28). How is this project different from simply “writing about yourself” for Trinh? Explain it at the same time as you do it.

3. Trinh writes: "Anthropology is finally better defined as 'gossip' (we speak together about others) than as 'conversation' (we discuss a question)" and that "a conversation of 'us' with 'us' about 'them' is a conversation in which 'them' is silenced" (68, 67). Do you think Trinh is correct in her assessment of Anthropology as a kind of gossip? How much of your own field of study could be characterized as gossip in a similar way? Does it matter for your field if some of the production of knowledge that takes place is in the form of gossip or not? Why or why not? Explain and give an argument for your view. In this context, some of you may wish to explore Donna Haraway's remark in her article "Situated Knowledges" that: "Acknowledging the agency of the world in knowledge makes room for some unsettling possibilities, including a sense of the world's independent sense of humour. Such a sense of humour is not comfortable for humanists and others committed to the world as resource. Richly evocative figures exist for feminist visualizations of the world as witty agent."

4. Come up with a topic of your own. Write down your idea in the form of a brief thesis statement, then come and discuss your proposal with me by Monday, 11/20. If you wish to write on a topic of your own, you must talk with me first.

First Paper Topics

2006-10-16T14:03:00.000-04:00

Write a well written, well argued paper on any one of the topics below. Your paper is due by 3:15, Tuesday, 10/31, in my box in LLA 111. Late papers will be docked one-third of a letter grade for each day late. Feel free to make full use of the Writing Center in 008 Belk Library.

Your paper should be typed, double-spaced in a 12-point font with standard margins.
It should be a minimum of 3 full pages and a maximum of 5 pages in length.
There should be a cover page including an original and informative title for your paper, your name, this course, my name and the date.
There should be a bibliography with MLA references for any works cited in the paper.
Papers should be stapled in the upper left-hand corner. No binders or folders please.
Pages should be numbered.
Keep a copy of your paper.

1. The title of this course, "Histories of Knowledges," may itself contain several histories of knowledges. Using both Whorf and Motokawa, what different and competing histories of knowledges can you extract from this title? In Whorf, you may want to explain and discuss his exposition of mass nouns in SAE and Hopi. In Motokawa, you may want to explain and discuss his views on the word/fact dichotomy in both the East and the West. Given your discussion, can you suggest another, better title for this course, or are titles ultimately not important? Why or why not?

2. In his “Discourse on Language,” Foucault writes about rules of exclusion, both external and internal, through which discourse is “controlled, selected, organised and redistributed.” Haraway writes, "Siting (sighting) boundaries is a risky practice." Using both Foucault and Haraway, give one or two specific examples of the ways in which the discourse of your own concentration is regulated and bounded. For both Foucault and Haraway, these boundaries and exclusions cannot be completely escaped, and in fact are even necessary in certain ways. Do you think that is true in your field of study? Explain both Foucault and Haraway, as well as your own view, on this topic.

3. Donna Haraway writes, "only partial perspective promises objective vision." How might you apply Haraway's call for partial perspective and situated knowledges as a way of avoiding the twin pitfalls of easy relativism or totalizing claims of universality to your own major concentration? Pick one specific aspect, area, example, issue, focus, or topic from within your concentration and use it to illustrate how you might use Haraway to construct and explore one specific situated knowledge within your concentration. Be specific in both your choice of examples and its connection to Haraway.

4. Come up with a topic of your own. Write down your idea in the form of a brief thesis statement, then come and discuss your proposal with me by Thursday, 10/26. If you wish to write on a topic of your own, you must talk with me first.

Wittgenstein Review

2006-10-05T11:49:00.000-04:00

Below is a list of some of the terms and ideas we have been studying. This list is intended only as a starting point for your study, not as a comprehensive guide.

Saint Augustine (1)
shopkeeper example (1)
builder language example (2 ff)
“to imagine a language means to imagine a form of life” (19)
language games (7)
meaning as use (43)
family resemblance (67)
arguments against words as names of objects (e.g 27)
“Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language.” (109-123)
relationship between thought and language (327-341)
teapot example (297)
“beetle” example (293)
“understanding” (150-155)
“pain” (246 ff)
arguments against solipsism (e.g. 24)
arguments against private language (269 ff)
Other comparisons between Wittgenstein’s views on language and knowledge and those of Plato, Descartes, John Wilkins, and Foucault are also possible.

Games

2006-09-26T19:27:00.000-04:00

Our List of Games:

Monopoly
Risk
Jenga
Poker
Hopscotch
Ring o' round the rosey
Red rover
Life
Ping Pong/Table Tennis
Operation
Zelda
Super Mario Brothers
Tetris

As far as what constitues what a "game " is:
1) It must involve some minor concentration.
2) People (players) must be involved.
3) They are designed for pleasure.

Adam, Leah, Mark, Meredith

"Games"

2006-09-26T14:18:00.000-04:00

Tamara Boozell, Brandon Miller, Walter Murray, Adrian Tambor

1. Four Square
2. Shoots and Ladders
3. Soccer
4. Puzzles
5. Bingo
6. Solitare
7. Tether Ball
8. Football
9. Golf
10. Ultimate

***There is a goal to be achieved, and an option of succeeding or not succeeding as defined by our culture. Games have a family, as Wittgenstein puts it, of usage. ***

taxonomy fun

2006-09-19T15:26:00.000-04:00

accessories:
patch
friendship bracelet

musical instraments:
red plastic nose whistle

organization:
paperclip small
paperclip big

power:
battery
outlet extension

to look at:
wooden painted block
coral

meg hanna, steve fogleman, adam coker, gordon strunk

fun words my friend Joren made up

2006-09-19T15:15:00.000-04:00

Stobven (pronounced STOWB-ven with the "bv" semi-silent): The feeling you get or the actual instance when you, for example, open a bag of chips fully expecting freshness but are disappointed with a stale chip.

Treftoni (tref-TOW-nee): The act or instance of individuals encountering one another in a narrow hallway, whereupon mental and physical confusion ensues relating to the manner in which the individuals will pass one another resulting in a brief tango.

Sphensil (sf-IN-sul): The awkward gap between the teller of a witty joke and the person who doesn't get it.

Coitro (COO - trow): The feeling when a familiar person approaches your presence from a distance that is too far to say something but too close to not to keep eye contact.

Pontassel (pond - TASSEL): An overall great experience.

Strupend(STREW - pend): the experience held while driving to meet a friend (running slightly late)whereupon each stoplight encountered achieves a light red per stop light cycle.

Shadlock - (SHAD - lock): the unfortunate experience of parellel parking in which case one returns to his/her car and finds that the owner of the car in front of and behind the owners vehicle have parked too close for comfort

All by Joren Dunnavent

Our Classifications

2006-09-18T00:54:00.000-04:00

Artistic
- badge
- block
- coral
- nose flute
- twine

Industrial
- battery
- small paperclip
- large paperclip
- two-prong plug

Knowledge and Music

2006-09-15T18:04:00.000-04:00

"Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is the best..." -- Frank Zappa.

A Taxonomy (of sorts)

2006-09-13T22:16:00.000-04:00

Those things having to do with electricity:
-adapter plug
-battery
Those things having to do with paper:
-small paper clip
-large paper clip
Those things having to do with the outdoors:
-embroidered patch (of the hiking variety)
-coral
Those things having to do with or belonging to children:
-painted block
-whistle
These classifications compiled by:
-Walter M.
-Jenn O.
-Alex C.
-Heath B.

Is It Food?

2006-09-13T18:51:00.000-04:00

Choking Hazard: Block, extension plug, whistle, coral, patch
Chemical Hazard: Battery, block paint
Pointy or Sharp: Extension plug, metal corner clip
Electrical Hazard: Battery
May Pass Cleanly: Paper clip (not bent), friendship bracelet, envelope if chewed.

Claire, Lauren, Mark, Riley, Jared.

Classifications

2006-09-12T14:49:00.000-04:00

Utility - paper clip, binder clip and envelope

Adventure - patch, whistle and bracelet

Energy - battery and electrical plug

Nature - coral and wooden block

from the great minds of Kat, Leah, Meredith and Jay!

Library of Congress Classification Outline

2006-09-12T11:22:00.000-04:00

Library of Congress Classification Outline:

Here is our Library of Congress taxonomy for you compare with that of Wilkins, Borges, or your own creations...

A -- GENERAL WORKS
B -- PHILOSOPHY. PSYCHOLOGY. RELIGION
C -- AUXILIARY SCIENCES OF HISTORY
D -- HISTORY (GENERAL) AND HISTORY OF EUROPE
E -- HISTORY: AMERICA
F -- HISTORY: AMERICA
G -- GEOGRAPHY. ANTHROPOLOGY. RECREATION
H -- SOCIAL SCIENCES
J -- POLITICAL SCIENCE
K -- LAW
L -- EDUCATION
M -- MUSIC AND BOOKS ON MUSIC
N -- FINE ARTS
P -- LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Q -- SCIENCE
R -- MEDICINE
S -- AGRICULTURE
T -- TECHNOLOGY
U -- MILITARY SCIENCE
V -- NAVAL SCIENCE
Z -- BIBLIOGRAPHY. LIBRARY SCIENCE. INFORMATION RESOURCES (GENERAL)

Truth

2006-09-01T11:34:00.000-04:00

It is true that I have the "correct" amount of toes and fingers...that would be 10 toes and 10 fingers! I know this b/c I see them and this is the set standard for humans....

pain

2006-08-31T17:55:00.000-04:00

pain is not a pleasurable experience...

True

2006-08-31T13:10:00.000-04:00

I can cut myself and I will bleed

seekers of the truth unite

2006-08-31T12:46:00.000-04:00

i hate to jump on wagons, but the death thing, yea that seems to be pretty ultimate. i guess its sort of hard to be original when it comes to truths. ive also had a sneaking suspicion that compassion and fear are pretty consistent in our lives and that most everything we do comes out of one or the other. im working on that though. trying to figure out if those particular words are the best to convey what i think to be true.

jared

2006-08-31T11:12:00.000-04:00

my name is jared fehr. this is my 5th semester as a history major at ASU; i hope to teach, we'll see if fate allows it. don't confuse me for a cynic, i am just an optimist who calls it like i see it. i fall along similar lines to steve in terms of truth, but i would word it slightly differently. assuming that i was in fact born, i know only one thing in this world, this life to be true - i will die. yup, that's it. now give me an A for this assignment Derek!

A Truth

2006-08-31T01:43:00.000-04:00

Here's my truth: Oodles of people will both be born and die tomorrow. (But what if the world ends tomorrow? In that case, lots of people will just die.) If for nothing else, I know this because of statistics.

2006-08-30T22:37:00.000-04:00

Greetings classmates. My name is Heath, and I am a twenty eight, yes twenty eight year old Anthropology major. For the three years prior to enrolling at ASU, I worked as an archaeologist in Alabama, Tennessee, and New York. I currently work full time as a sales representative and paper pusher for the local climbing company, Misty Mountain. As for the line drawing, it brings beer to mind, as I'm sure it does for many. I know it as the duck-rabbit, and I see both. After looking at the drawing for long enough, I think that there is a distinct possibilty that it could serve as a bottle opener if not found solely on paper. FYI: the duck-rabbit milk stout is tops in the wintertime! Sorry, even this obscure image too has been branded, leaving our minds to absorb its buying significance and not its representation otherwise.

the ying and yang of truth

2006-08-30T20:41:00.000-04:00

Truth: One thing I am sure is true and why? Well... I am sure that for everything one opinion there is an obsite one out there to contridict. Why?for everyone thing the opposite of that is also true to so one else. How do I know this... ying and yang says it all....

Intro

2006-08-29T19:56:00.000-04:00

Hi, my name is Gordon Strunk. I'm a sophmore double majoring in Spanish and Sustainable Development. I really enjoy a good cup of coffee.

I think that the drawing is an ambigous symbol, frequently interpreted as a duck or a rabbit.

Hello Everybody

2006-08-29T18:53:00.000-04:00

Hello. I am Claire. I am a Latin American Studies major with some sort of SD minor, and I am happy to finally be able to post on this blog.