Thursday, September 25, 2008

Long time no post

So, this summer, Camp Theory focused on Skype meetings and very little substantive commentary made it to the blog. The good news is that we have decided to extend summer creating more chances to read and chat and/or post.

From Bourdieu, the group decided to keep reading about gift economy. Our next book is:

The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property by Lewis Hyde.

Skype meeting announcement coming soon.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Outline of a Theory of Practice-Chapter 2

The next Skype meeting will be Sunday, August 24th on chapter 2.

I read chapter one in two parts. During the first part, I was engaged and interested in Bourdieu’s critiques of the biases we bring to questions based on our profession or perspective. The questions an ethnographer asks, frames the nature of the answer. He also questions the answers. The answers may reflect an ideal rather then the lived experience.

I had a very hard time concentrating to the second half of the chapter. I kept hoping Bourdieu would give a hint as to why I should care about the specificity of his research and how he, outside of talking about (but not showing) statistical analysis and game theory, questioned his own biases.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

New Chat Time

Dear readers,

The next Skype meeting will be Sunday 10 AM, yes, that is the morning folks, Chicago time. We will talk about the first chapter of Outline of a Theory of Practice, as I had to cancel the last meeting.

It think it is interesting that this book has the typographical "look" of Agamben and address many of the issue of what is mean to being working "now" that Arendt poses. These books seem to know each other.


Amber

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Last book of the summer

Dear campers,

It is time for the last book of the summer. Outline of a Theory of Practice
by Pierre Bourdieu. We will Skype about the first chapter on Sunday 8 pm Chicago time.

Happy reading.

Amber

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Finishing The Human Condition

So, it is time to move on from the Human Condition. Monday, rather than Wednesday will be the last chat, 9pm Chicago time.

Tonight's conversation centered around the particular ways Arendt uses words like private and public and how easy it is to start substituting our modern understanding of these words. It took me some time to understand she is dealing with these words much more theoretically and in an isolated format. Her definitions from Greek and Roman debate have to do with ideal states of separation. She is, in many ways pointing out the blurring of the two and the dangers of not noticing this. Yet, I still often, even when reading this, blur them.

Happy reading.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

reading time

So, somehow in getting back to the States, I fell of the Arendt wagon. If you are free, let's talk about Action on Wednesday evening at 9pm Chicago time.

We will hold the final Skype meeting the following Wednesday, concluding this wonderful book. I find it odd The Human Condition is not quoted more, more widely discussed, and generally appreciated. I find everything I am reading relates back to Arendt. Not only that, her mixture of simple almost obvious intellectual structures combined with her views and detailed historical support provide a refreshing writing model. Usually, these components are separated, leaving overly diaristic, overly academic narrative, or complex and obtuse theoretical writing.

Basically, this is just a pleasure to read and think about as I go about my day.

Enjoy reading.

Amber

Monday, July 21, 2008

Action

The conversation and music were wonderful on Sunday. Some questions that came up that we can consider include:

What is the relationship between violence and labor Arendt talks about in section 17, A Consumer's Society (page 129/130 in the second edition)?

What does Arendt mean when she talks about privacy and in particular how is the labor of the body the most private of the three types of work? Pg 121

We will read through ACTION and Skype on Friday at 6 PM Chicago time.

Enjoy.