Mellan människor och ting : En interaktionistisk analys av samlandet
(2007) In Lund Dissertations in Sociology 74.- Abstract
- In most sociological paradigms the importance of human interaction for the understanding of societies, is a well established fact. In this study, the focus is the interaction between human beings and material things as it is occurring in practice. Such an approach with its important consequences for understanding both social life and self, is often overlooked in studies within the field of sociology.
In sociology things are often treated as either goods or gifts ? both aspects focusing on the symbolic meaning of things, and their role as mediators between humans. Things are, however, not only to be understood in terms of immaterial meaning, but also in terms of material things which humans coordinate their actions with.... (More) - In most sociological paradigms the importance of human interaction for the understanding of societies, is a well established fact. In this study, the focus is the interaction between human beings and material things as it is occurring in practice. Such an approach with its important consequences for understanding both social life and self, is often overlooked in studies within the field of sociology.
In sociology things are often treated as either goods or gifts ? both aspects focusing on the symbolic meaning of things, and their role as mediators between humans. Things are, however, not only to be understood in terms of immaterial meaning, but also in terms of material things which humans coordinate their actions with. In this regard things are seen as objectives for human action, or ?action participants?, and become important for the social lives of individuals.
Building upon the theoretical works of George Herbert Mead and Hans Joas this study aims to explore and enrich a neo-median theory of action with focus on the creative dynamics between humans and things. The theoretical work is developed in relation to an analysis of collecting activities and practices ? activities that are permeated with generally accepted stereotypical ideas about what a ?real? collector are, or a ?real? collectible.
In this study, the understanding is not centred on general conceptions of collectibles and collectors. Instead the ambition is to ?reach behind? such images. This is done with the help of a phenomenological approach, characterized by an attempt to analyze the foundation on which all forms of colleting activities is based, in this study understood as the relationship between human beings and material things ? a relation that precedes general conceptions of ?real? collectors or collectibles.
The empirical material for this analysis consists of twelve interviews with Swedish ? male and female ? collectors, and of observations. In addition to this popular material (tv-shows, magazines, fiction, etc) is used to explore the everyday attitude towards collecting and collectors.
Intertwining Meads ideas of ?play? and ?game? with Joas ?theory of creativity of action?, the aim is to enrich the theory of creativity of action. In this study, the concepts of play and game are treated as two separate aspects of action, rather than two ontogenetical phases in the development of children. This result in a theory of creativity of action that is ?age-less?, i.e. no matter the age of a person, s/he acts creative towards others (human beings and material things) in playful and game-oriented ways. The game-oriented aspect of creative action emanate from experience of and identification with the normative rules and norms of a specific activity. When analyzing collecting practices and activities, it becomes evident that men and women of all age, act towards material things in playful and game-oriented ways, but it is most often men that are recognized as ?real? (game-oriented) collectors.
By building on Meads and Joas theories, analyzing the activity and action of collecting interactionistically, this study argues that it is possible to enrich the theory of creativity of action as well as understanding the activity of collecting in a more complex and multifaceted way. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Inom de flesta sociologiska forskningsperspektiv tillskrivs mellanmänsklig interaktion avgörande betydelse för att förstå olika aspekter av det sociala livet. I denna studie ligger emellertid fokus på den praktiska och erfarenhetsmässiga relationen mellan människor och ting ? en relation med stor betydelse för individers identitet och sociala liv. Detta är ett ofta bortglömt perspektiv inom sociologin.
När sociologin behandlar ting framställs de oftast som antingen varor eller gåvor, som sådana ligger fokus på tingens symboliska betydelser eller som förmedlare i mellanmänsklig interaktion. Ting behöver dock inte enbart förstås som immateriell mening, eller som verktyg för... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Inom de flesta sociologiska forskningsperspektiv tillskrivs mellanmänsklig interaktion avgörande betydelse för att förstå olika aspekter av det sociala livet. I denna studie ligger emellertid fokus på den praktiska och erfarenhetsmässiga relationen mellan människor och ting ? en relation med stor betydelse för individers identitet och sociala liv. Detta är ett ofta bortglömt perspektiv inom sociologin.
När sociologin behandlar ting framställs de oftast som antingen varor eller gåvor, som sådana ligger fokus på tingens symboliska betydelser eller som förmedlare i mellanmänsklig interaktion. Ting behöver dock inte enbart förstås som immateriell mening, eller som verktyg för mellanmänsklig interaktion, utan också som materiella ?samspelspartners? gentemot vilka individer agerar och koordinerar sina handlingar med. Som samspelspartners blir tingen socialt betydelsefulla för individers identitet och liv.
Utifrån George Herbert Meads och Hans Joas teorier syftar denna studie till att vidareutveckla en neo-meadsk handlingsteori med fokus på det kreativa samspelet mellan människor och ting. Detta teoretiska arbete görs i anslutning till en analys av samlandet ? en praktik som genomsyras av olika stereotypa föreställningar om vad exempelvis en ?riktig? samlare eller ett ?riktigt? samlarföremål är.
Undersökningen av och förståelsen för samlandet utgår dock inte ifrån samhällsförankrade föreställningar, utan istället präglas arbetet av en ambition att sträva ?bortom? dessa föreställningar. Med hjälp av ett fenomenologiskt förhållningssätt undersöks den gemensamma grunden för alla typer av samlaraktiviteter, en grund som här förstås som relationen mellan människor och ting. Denna relation föregår olika förförståelser om samlandet.
Det empiriska materialet består av tolv intervjuer med samlare ? män och kvinnor; därtill populära skildringar av samlandet (Tv-program, tidskrifter, skönlitteratur, etc). Materialet ligger till grund för att utforska vardagliga förförståelsen för samlare och samlandet.
Genom att integrera Meads begrepp ?lek? och ?spel? med Joas teori om ?kreativ handling? strävar denna studie till att berika och vidareutveckla en kreativ handlingsteori. ?Lek? och ?spel? behandlas i denna studie som två separata aspekter av mänsklig handling snarare än som två faser i barns ontogenetiska utveckling. Resultatet av denna teoretiska integrering blir en ?åldersneutral? kreativ handlingsteori, vilket betyder att individer, oavsett ålder, handlar gentemot andra (människor och ting) på lekfulla och spelmässiga sätt. Den kreativa handlingen blir spelmässig i takt med ökad erfarenhet av och identifikation med normativa regler och riktlinjer som genomsyrar olika specifika gruppmässiga aktiviteter. När samlandet analyseras ur detta perspektiv blir det tydligt att kvinnor och män i alla åldrar handlar både lekfullt och spelmässigt gentemot ting, men det är oftast män som blir erkända som ?riktiga? (spelmässiga) samlare.
Genom att bygga vidare på Mead och Joas teorier, analyseras samlandet utifrån en interaktionistisk handlingsteori. Ambitionen härav består i att berika både den kreativa handlingsteorin och att nyansera och fördjupa förståelsen för samlandet. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/27188
- author
- Persson, Marcus LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- docent Aspers, Patrik, Sociologiska institutionen, Stockholms universitet
- organization
- alternative title
- Between Humans and Things : An interactionistic analysis of collecting
- publishing date
- 2007
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- collectibles, collectors, collecting, reference group, identity, Self-development, recognition, role-taking, game, play, transaction, interaction, creativity, neo-median, Joas, Mead, theory of action, Humans and things, sociology of things, phenomenology, Sociology, Social psychology, Joas, Mead, Sociologi, Socialpsykologi
- in
- Lund Dissertations in Sociology
- volume
- 74
- pages
- 241 pages
- publisher
- Department of Sociology, Lund University
- defense location
- Kulturens auditorium Lunds universitet
- defense date
- 2007-05-11 10:15:00
- ISSN
- 1403-6061
- ISBN
- 91-7267-238-2
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- cd7c2662-27f4-4fe2-bee0-821efb72386e (old id 27188)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:04:19
- date last changed
- 2021-12-02 20:50:59
@phdthesis{cd7c2662-27f4-4fe2-bee0-821efb72386e,
abstract = {{In most sociological paradigms the importance of human interaction for the understanding of societies, is a well established fact. In this study, the focus is the interaction between human beings and material things as it is occurring in practice. Such an approach with its important consequences for understanding both social life and self, is often overlooked in studies within the field of sociology.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
In sociology things are often treated as either goods or gifts ? both aspects focusing on the symbolic meaning of things, and their role as mediators between humans. Things are, however, not only to be understood in terms of immaterial meaning, but also in terms of material things which humans coordinate their actions with. In this regard things are seen as objectives for human action, or ?action participants?, and become important for the social lives of individuals.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Building upon the theoretical works of George Herbert Mead and Hans Joas this study aims to explore and enrich a neo-median theory of action with focus on the creative dynamics between humans and things. The theoretical work is developed in relation to an analysis of collecting activities and practices ? activities that are permeated with generally accepted stereotypical ideas about what a ?real? collector are, or a ?real? collectible.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
In this study, the understanding is not centred on general conceptions of collectibles and collectors. Instead the ambition is to ?reach behind? such images. This is done with the help of a phenomenological approach, characterized by an attempt to analyze the foundation on which all forms of colleting activities is based, in this study understood as the relationship between human beings and material things ? a relation that precedes general conceptions of ?real? collectors or collectibles.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The empirical material for this analysis consists of twelve interviews with Swedish ? male and female ? collectors, and of observations. In addition to this popular material (tv-shows, magazines, fiction, etc) is used to explore the everyday attitude towards collecting and collectors.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Intertwining Meads ideas of ?play? and ?game? with Joas ?theory of creativity of action?, the aim is to enrich the theory of creativity of action. In this study, the concepts of play and game are treated as two separate aspects of action, rather than two ontogenetical phases in the development of children. This result in a theory of creativity of action that is ?age-less?, i.e. no matter the age of a person, s/he acts creative towards others (human beings and material things) in playful and game-oriented ways. The game-oriented aspect of creative action emanate from experience of and identification with the normative rules and norms of a specific activity. When analyzing collecting practices and activities, it becomes evident that men and women of all age, act towards material things in playful and game-oriented ways, but it is most often men that are recognized as ?real? (game-oriented) collectors.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
By building on Meads and Joas theories, analyzing the activity and action of collecting interactionistically, this study argues that it is possible to enrich the theory of creativity of action as well as understanding the activity of collecting in a more complex and multifaceted way.}},
author = {{Persson, Marcus}},
isbn = {{91-7267-238-2}},
issn = {{1403-6061}},
keywords = {{collectibles; collectors; collecting; reference group; identity; Self-development; recognition; role-taking; game; play; transaction; interaction; creativity; neo-median; Joas; Mead; theory of action; Humans and things; sociology of things; phenomenology; Sociology; Social psychology; Joas; Mead; Sociologi; Socialpsykologi}},
language = {{swe}},
publisher = {{Department of Sociology, Lund University}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Lund Dissertations in Sociology}},
title = {{Mellan människor och ting : En interaktionistisk analys av samlandet}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4558738/27189.pdf}},
volume = {{74}},
year = {{2007}},
}