[Air-L] Using ANT as ethos and method

[Liam Berriman]

Hi Tamara,

I'm also currently working with ANT as part of a PhD thesis into the
co-constitution of young children's websites. Like others on the list have
said, ANT is not necessarily satisfactory as a method/theory unto itself and
i've been considering how it can be combined with a number of different
areas of theory (childhood studies, new media studies, socio-spatial theory)
and different methods. I definitely feel that ANT has something to offer
studies of old and new media, away from the buzzword of 'network'. I've been
interested in mapping associations between a heterogeneous range of actors
(children, designers/developers), technologies (design software, hardware
etc) and social spaces (websites, virtual worlds, bedrooms, design offices
etc).

In terms of flattening the divide, i would be cautious not to take this as
face value and I think a more practical approach would be to take a
reflexive approach to relations. As in my own case, acknowledging that the
voice of children often come from a position of marginal power and
reflecting on how they come to be translated by design teams and also
through research (such as my own).  You talk about how the pursuit of MMO
gaming is treated as a socially maligned form of leisure and I think that
ANT would have the potential to help you understand how this activity
becomes framed as such (especially when it may not be significantly
different to other forms of activity which receive less social prejudice).
These were just a few ideas I had when considering your post. I'll be happy
to talk off list further about ANT if you wish.

Good luck with the research.

Liam

-- 
Liam Berriman
PhD Student
Department of Sociology
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross
London
SE14 6NW

On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 3:14 PM, Tamara Paradis <tsparadis at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all
>
> I'm working on a graduate project that explores the controversies and
> understandings of MMO gaming as valid leisure. I'm curious what is it about
> MMO gaming that results in it being viewed as geeky, strange, "luser-ish",
> etc. I've been struck by the ways in which MMO gamers themselves, as well
> as
> everday non-gaming folks and mass media reportage (outside of financial
> reports!) seem to accept that MMO gaming is somehow a type of strange and
> suspect pursuit.
>
> I've long been intrigued with the work of Bruno Latour and others from SST
> and material culture studies who use an Actor-Network Theory (ANT) approach
> to studying the world and its phenomenon. I am drawn to the ethos of ANT
> which flattens the divide between researcher and the researched, and which
> advocates jettisoning old notions of society and "the social", and the old
> (artificial?) divides between micro/macro, structure/individual,
> power/domination etc. in the interests of letting the actions tell the
> story
> of the results. I'm equlally drawn but intimidated by the methods built
> into
> ANT -- the mapping of actors and connections and associations.
>
> I'm trying to convince a reluctant adviser that an ANT approach is a valid
> way of studying my research question. Given the digital focus and the
> desire
> to use ANT as ethos and method, as well as the ways in which ANT approaches
> study and fieldwork, I'm having a rough go of it.  I'm wondering if any of
> you are using ANT or have used it in the past for qualitiative research
> purposes (e.g. virtual ethnography; findings reporting; etc.). If you have
> done so in the past, are in the midst of doing so now or are at least
> intrigued by the possibilities, I'd be interested in talking with you
> off-list.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Tamara Paradis
> tparadis at connect.carleton.ca
> tsparadis at gmail.com
> Carleton University - Sociology & Anthropology
> Ottawa, ON, Canada
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