Modes of affordance : action possibilities in the time and place of aging
(2026) In Semiotica 2026(271). p.37-51- Abstract
Ever since the introduction of the concept of affordance, a debate has continued about how this concept captures the diversity of action possibilities triggered by our environment. One facet of this debate concerns the individual specificity, hence societal diversity, regarding how affordance changes as life changes, such as when we get older. Affordance, or action possibility actualized in the moment someone perceives it, is a dynamic relation between perceiver and environment, and as we grow older, changes appear with regard to mobility, strength, and perception. In a routine fashion, we tend to regard such an "age-shift"as bringing decline of the range of action possibilities for the individual - this, even though affordance also can... (More)
Ever since the introduction of the concept of affordance, a debate has continued about how this concept captures the diversity of action possibilities triggered by our environment. One facet of this debate concerns the individual specificity, hence societal diversity, regarding how affordance changes as life changes, such as when we get older. Affordance, or action possibility actualized in the moment someone perceives it, is a dynamic relation between perceiver and environment, and as we grow older, changes appear with regard to mobility, strength, and perception. In a routine fashion, we tend to regard such an "age-shift"as bringing decline of the range of action possibilities for the individual - this, even though affordance also can be seen as a repertoire that can be altered, as corporeal adjustment to the demands of spaces and objects in modernization of everyday life. The dynamics of affordances in general show a modal range of possibilities and necessities, and a semiotic view on affordance is presented here that acknowledges this range of possibilities and relates it to existential perspectives. Such a modalized view of affordance contributes not only to affordance theory as such, to the semiotics of agency, and to studies of aging as a societally urgent project, but becomes also a way to approach design of lived environments that more sufficiently meet the ever-changing existential needs.
(Less)
- author
- Sandin, Gunnar LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-07-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- affordance, architectural space, elderly, existential sustainability, modalities
- in
- Semiotica
- volume
- 2026
- issue
- 271
- pages
- 15 pages
- publisher
- Mouton de Gruyter
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105042169068
- ISSN
- 0037-1998
- DOI
- 10.1515/sem-2026-0078
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8cf4412e-be50-4184-b05a-c2966d673bbe
- date added to LUP
- 2026-09-22 15:45:03
- date last changed
- 2026-09-22 15:45:21
@article{8cf4412e-be50-4184-b05a-c2966d673bbe,
abstract = {{<p>Ever since the introduction of the concept of affordance, a debate has continued about how this concept captures the diversity of action possibilities triggered by our environment. One facet of this debate concerns the individual specificity, hence societal diversity, regarding how affordance changes as life changes, such as when we get older. Affordance, or action possibility actualized in the moment someone perceives it, is a dynamic relation between perceiver and environment, and as we grow older, changes appear with regard to mobility, strength, and perception. In a routine fashion, we tend to regard such an "age-shift"as bringing decline of the range of action possibilities for the individual - this, even though affordance also can be seen as a repertoire that can be altered, as corporeal adjustment to the demands of spaces and objects in modernization of everyday life. The dynamics of affordances in general show a modal range of possibilities and necessities, and a semiotic view on affordance is presented here that acknowledges this range of possibilities and relates it to existential perspectives. Such a modalized view of affordance contributes not only to affordance theory as such, to the semiotics of agency, and to studies of aging as a societally urgent project, but becomes also a way to approach design of lived environments that more sufficiently meet the ever-changing existential needs.</p>}},
author = {{Sandin, Gunnar}},
issn = {{0037-1998}},
keywords = {{affordance; architectural space; elderly; existential sustainability; modalities}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{07}},
number = {{271}},
pages = {{37--51}},
publisher = {{Mouton de Gruyter}},
series = {{Semiotica}},
title = {{Modes of affordance : action possibilities in the time and place of aging}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/sem-2026-0078}},
doi = {{10.1515/sem-2026-0078}},
volume = {{2026}},
year = {{2026}},
}