Configurational analysis - Wikipedia

In cultural and social studies, configurations are patterns of behaviour, movement (→movement culture) and thinking, which research observes when analysing ... Configurationalanalysis FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch Inculturalandsocialstudies,configurationsarepatternsofbehaviour,movement(→movementculture)andthinking,whichresearchobserveswhenanalysingdifferentculturesand/orhistoricalchanges.Theterm“configurations”ismostlyusedbycomparativeanthropologicalstudiesandbyculturalhistory.ConfigurationalanalysisbecameaspecialmethodbytheStuttgartschoolofHistoricalBehaviourStudiesduringthe1970sandlaterbybodyculturestudiesinDenmark. Configurationalanalysisismarkedbyitsdistancetowardsthehistoryofideasandintentions,whichareconceivedasmainstreamsinhistoricalstudies.Configurationsofhumanbehaviourandmovementhaveattractedspecialattentionintheframeworkofphenomenology(→Phenomenology(philosophy))andparticularlyinmaterialistphenomenology. Contents 1Configurationsinearlierculturalstudies 2Configurationsinhistoricalbehaviourstudies 3Configurationsinbodyculturestudies 4Furtherconfigurationalapproaches 5Notes 6Bibliography Configurationsinearlierculturalstudies[edit] Configurationsindifferentcultureswerestudiedsinceearlytwentiethcentury. RuthBenedict(1934)contributedtotheanthropologyofNativeAmericansbyusingthetermof“configurations”asatranslationofGerman“Gestaltde:Gestalt”.Configurationdenotedawholeofsocialattitudes,practicesandbeliefsandwasnearlyidenticalwith“culture”.Itwasusedforcomparison–betweentheHopiIndiansandtheIndiansoftheprairies,betweenJapaneseandWesternculture–andinaperspectiveofculturalrelativism:Eachculturehasconfigurationsofitsown.[1] GastonBachelard(1938)usedtheterm”diagram”todescribeanorderofconceivedrealitybothinscientificandinliteraryunderstanding.Thiswashiskeytoa"materialistpsychoanalysis".[2]Bachelard’sapproachbecamelaterasourceofinspirationforMichelFoucault. NorbertElias(1939,1970)describedcertainpatternsofrelationsbetweenhumanbeingsasfiguration[1]–inEnglish:”configuration”–becomingvisibleinplayofcards,danceandfootball.HedescribedtheseconfigurationsasdassichwandelndeMuster,dasdieSpielermiteinanderbilden(thechangingpattern,whichplayersformwitheachother),Spannungsgefüge(relationsofsuspense),InterdependenzderSpieler(interdependenceofplayers),anddasfluktuierendeSpannungsgleichgewicht,dasHinundHereinerMachtbalance(thefluctuatingbalanceofsuspense,theto-and-froofabalanceofpower).[3]Thisbecameakeytohissociologyofcivilization. MichelFoucault(1966)usedthetermlaconfigurationinhistoricalstudiesofphilosophy,inordertocharacterize“theorderofthethings”,patternsofknowledgechanginginepistemologicaldisruptions.Theconfigurationsofsavoirchanged,accordingtoFoucault,infollowinghistoricalsteps:[4] TheRenaissancefocusedonthechainsofsimilarities,goingfromsigntosign.MigueldeCervantesshapedanironicalpictureofthisconfigurationbythephantasmasofDonQuixote(part1-1605). The18thcenturyconstructedthetableauasauniversalgrammar.Onthisbase,Linnéconstructedthegenealogicaltreesofplantsandanimalsasatableauoflife.AnironicalpictureofthisconfigurationwasgivenbyLaurenceSterneinhisTheLifeandOpinionsofTristramShandy,Gentleman(part1-1759). The19thcenturydiscoveredprogressandevolution–inlifescienceasnaturalhistory,ineconomyasproduction,andinlanguageaslinguistichistory.Onthebackgroundofthesemodernconfigurations,whichtooktheirformaround1800,individualsubjectivitywasconstructed,aswellasthedynamicofindustriallifedeveloped. Thereareindicatorsthattheseconfigurationsmaydisappearortransformagaininapost-modernage. Configurationsinhistoricalbehaviourstudies[edit] Configurationalanalysis(inGermanKonfigurationsanalyse)becameaparticularmethodologicalapproachintheframeworkofHistoricalBehaviourStudies,astheyweredevelopedattheUniversityofStuttgartduringthe1970sbythehistoriansAugustNitschkeandHenningEichberg.Nitschkeanalyzedraum-zeitlicheMuster(patternsofspaceandtime)andKörperanordnungen(ordersofthebody)as“configurations”whencomparingpatternsofartandpatternsofsocialbehavior.Configurationsweresimilarities,analogiesandchangingpatternsoffiguresinagivenspace.[5] Thisanalyticalapproachwascomparabletoconcepts,whichinrecenttimehavechallengedhistoriography:mentality(GeorgesDuby),affectcontrol(NorbertElias)(→Affectcontroltheory),perception(LucienFebvre),structuralthinking(ClaudeLévi-Strauss),needs(DavidMcClelland),andinteraction(GeorgeHerbertMead).[6] Theconfigurationalapproachcontrasteddeliberatelywiththemainstreamofhistoriographyexplaininghistorybytheaimsofitsactors(pragmatism),asanexpressionofweltanschauung(psychologyandhistoryofideas)orbyinterests(insocialhistory).[7] Theconfigurationalanalysiswasespeciallyappliedtocomparativeandhistoricalstudiesofsportanddanceasindicatorsofsocialchange.Thecomparativeanalysisofathletics,ballgames,equestrianism,martialarts,gymnastics,anddanceshowedsomecommonconfigurationsas:thefunctionalparcelingofspace,anewdynamicof“progress”andspeed,themoderntasteofsuspense,theprincipleofcompetition,andtheproductionofresulttables.Theconfigurationsofmovementcultureprefiguredthepatternsofproductivityorientation,whichcharacterizedtheIndustrialAge.[8] Theappliedconceptof“configuration”washeredifferentfrom"system"(→culturalsystem)(beingmorestaticandsystematic,andrelatedtothenegativetermofthenon-systematic),from“style”(beingmoreaestheticandhavingundertonesoftaste,subjectivityandstylization),andfrom“structure”(havingundertonesof“thefunctional”,asaheritagefromstructuralfunctionalisminsociology).Incontrasttotheseterms,configurationdenotesamoredynamicpatterninchange. Configurationsaspatternsofbehaviour,movementandthinkingreflectman'sperceptionofreality.Theygiveanepochalpatternofperceptionwhichconcurrentlydefinesaframeworkforaction.Butinnowaytheydescribethewholerealityofanepoch.Furthermore,theirpowertoexplainindividualactionsislimited.Theepochal"reality"isnostraitjacketwhichdoesnotallowfreedomofaction.Nevertheless,ineachepochtherearetypicalwaystoactortobehave,tomoveortothink.Theycorrespondwiththewaypeopleperceivereality.Actingorthinkinginthiswaymayberightorwrong–itistypicalanyway.[9] Configurationsinbodyculturestudies[edit] Studiesofbodyculture,whichspreadinDenmarkduringthe1980s,developedtheconfigurationalanalysisfurther,revealinginnertensionsandcontradictionsofagivensociety.[10] Theconfigurativeapproachwasappliedtotheanalysisandespeciallytocomparisonofdifferentfieldsofactivities:popularfestivity,fitnessculture(→physicalfitness),sportiveandnon-sportiveballgames,sportracingandparcour,differentoutdooractivities,anddifferenthealthcultures.Configurationalanalysisfocusedonbodilymovementintimeandspace,ontheenergyofmovement,oninterpersonalrelations,andontheobjectificationofmovement.Abovethisbasis,analysisincludedthesuperstructureofinstitutionsandideas(→Baseandsuperstructure),whichorganizeandreflectcollectiveactionsandinterests. Timeofbodilymovementismarked,amongothers,bycontradictionsbetweenaccelerationandslowness–betweenlivingrhythmandmechanicalpace–betweenlinear-abstractandirreversibletime–betweencyclical,progressingandsituationaltime.Historicalchangesawforinstancethetransformationfromthenobleexercisesoftheeighteenthcenturywiththeircirculatingandformallymeasuredpatternstomoderngymnasticsandsportswiththeirpatternsofspeed,acceleration,andflow,whichcharacterizedindustrialbehaviourmoregenerally. Spaceofbodilymovementischaracterizedbycontradictionsbetweenthestraightlineandthelabyrinth–betweenconnectionandparcellationofspaces–betweengeometricalanddirectedspace–betweenspace,placeandintermediaryspace.Foucault'sstudyofthepanopticonasaspecificmodernwayoforganisingthespaceofmovementandbodilyvisibilityaround1800showedthesocietaldepthofthisanalysis. Energyofbodilymovementconsistsofamultiplicityofdifferentatmospheres,radiations,moodsandmodesofattunement.Modernsuspension(suspense,tension,thrill,excitement–inGermanSpannung')emergedineighteenthandnineteenthcentury’sboxingandballgamesatthesametimeasitappearedindetectivenovels.Thiscoincidencewasillustrativefortheconfigurationalchangetowardsindustrialsociety.SocialenergywasalsoillustratedbythestudyoflaughterinthetraditionofMikhailBakhtin'sanalysisofRenaissancesociety. Interpersonalrelationsinbodilymovementtellaboutpowerandgender–aboutwinnersandlosers–aboutyou-andwe-relationsinmotion.Thestudyofsportshasespeciallybeenenrichedbytheattentiontogenderunbalancesinbodyculture. Objectificationofbodilymovementisespeciallycharacteristicformodernbodycultures.Bodilymovementisreifiedinatensionbetweenprocessandresult–betweensocialproduction,reproductionanda-productiveencountersinbodilyactivity–betweenproducingdataorpicturesbymovement.Theproductionofrecordsbymodernsportshasbeenacentralpointforunderstandingmodernindustrialbehaviour. Abovethesebasicbody-culturalprocesses,bodycultureshowspatternsoforganizationalandinstitutionalcharacteraswellasthemeaningsandideas,whichareascribedtobodilypractices.Mainstreamstudiesofsportoftenover-emphasizethesesuperstructures(→Baseandsuperstructure),whiletheconfigurationalanalysisofbodyculturegivesprioritytothefocusonbodilypractice,intheframeworkofamaterialistphenomenology. Furtherconfigurationalapproaches[edit] Configurationalanalysiscanbecomparedwithothercontemporaryapproachesinculturalandsocialstudies. PierreBourdieu(1966/67,1979)launchedtheconceptof”habitus”todescribepatternsofaction,ofbodilypracticeandpresentation,oftasteandaestheticform(comparabletotheGothicstyleofMedievalcathedrals).Likeconfiguration,habituswasillustrativeforacertainhomology,whichcouldbefoundinsideagivensocialformationorclassandasdistinctionbetweendifferentsocialclasses.[11] PeterSloterdijk(1998/99)developedacultural”morphology”,whichdescribedthepsychosocialgeometryofpeople’slivingspaceandinhabitations,theirworldandtheirunderstandingofGod.Micro-andmacrosphereswererelatedtoeachotherbycharacteristicconfigurations.[12] Inanyoftheseapproaches,“configuration”madeitpossibletocompareconcretehumanpractice–i.e.“material”bodilyphenomena–withlargerspheresofsocietyandculture. Notes[edit] ^Benedict,Ruth1934:PatternsofCulture.Boston,NewYork:HoughtonMifflin ^Bachelard,Gaston1938:Lapsychanalysedufeu;English1964:Psychoanalysisoffire.Boston:Beacon ^Elias,Norbert1939:ÜberdenProzessderZivilisation.SoziogenetischeundpsychogenetischeUntersuchungen.Frankfort/MainSuhrkamp;English1982:TheCivilizingProcess.OxfordBlackwell. ^Foucault,Michel1966:Lesmotsetleschoses.Paris:Gallimard;English1970:TheOrderofThings.AnArcheologyoftheHumanSciences.NewYork:Pantheon ^Nitschke,August1975:KunstundVerhalten.AnalogeKonfigurationen.Stuttgart-BadCannstatt:Frommann-Holzboog;id.1975(ed.):VerhaltenswandelinderindustriellenRevolution.Stuttgart:KohlhammerVerlag ^Nitschke,August1981:HistorischeVerhaltensforschung.Stuttgart:Ulmer ^Nitschke,August1975:KunstundVerhalten.AnalogeKonfigurationen.Stuttgart-Bad-Cannstatt:Frommann-Holzboog ^Eichberg,Henning1978:Leistung,SpannungGeschwindigkeit.SportundTanzimgesellschaftlichenWandeldes18./19.Jahrhunderts.Stuttgart:Klett-Cotta ^Nitschke,August(1962):HeiligeindieserWelt.PersönlicheAutoritätundpolitischeWirksamkeit.Stuttgart:Kohlhammer;Kalckhoff,Andreas(1982):"HistorischeVerhaltensforschung:EthnologieunsererVergangenheit.DieKonfigurationeinesAufstandesim10.Jahrhundert",inGehlen,Rolf&Wolf,Bernd(eds.):WernerMüllerzuseinem75.Geburtstag,UnterdemPflasterliegtderStrand11.Berlin:KarinKramer. ^Dietrich,Knut2001(ed.):HowSocietiesCreateMovementCultureandSport.UniversityofCopenhagen:InstituteofExerciseandSportSciences;Eichberg,Henning1998:BodyCultures.London:Routledge;id.-2001:“Thinkingcontradictions.Towardsamethodologyofconfigurationalanalysis,or:Howtoreconstructthesocietalsignificationofmovementcultureandsport.”In:KnutDietrich(ed.):HowSocietiesCreateMovementCultureandSport.UniversityofCopenhagen:InstituteofExerciseandSportSciences,10-32;id.2010:BodilyDemocracy.London:Routledge ^Bourdieu,Pierre1966/67:"Champsintellectueletprojetcréateur."In:Tempsmodernes,22,865-906;id.1979:Ladistinction.Paris:Minuit.–English1984:Distinction:ASocialCritiqueoftheJudgementofTaste.London:Routledge ^Sloterdijk,Peter1998/2004:Sphären.PluraleSphärologie.Vols.1-3,Frankfurt/Main:Suhrkamp Bibliography[edit] Bachelard,Gaston1938:Lapsychanalysedufeu.–English1964:Psychoanalysisoffire.Boston:Beacon Benedict,Ruth1934:PatternsofCulture.Boston,NewYork:HoughtonMifflin Bourdieu,Pierre1966/67:"Champsintellectueletprojetcréateur."In:Tempsmodernes,22,865-906 1979:Ladistinction.Paris:Minuit.–English1984:Distinction:ASocialCritiqueoftheJudgementofTaste.London:Routledge Dietrich,Knut2001(ed.):HowSocietiesCreateMovementCultureandSport.UniversityofCopenhagen:InstituteofExerciseandSportSciences Eichberg,Henning1978:Leistung,SpannungGeschwindigkeit.SportundTanzimgesellschaftlichenWandeldes18./19.Jahrhunderts.Stuttgart:Klett-Cotta 1998:BodyCultures.London:Routledge 2001:“Thinkingcontradictions.Towardsamethodologyofconfigurationalanalysis,or:Howtoreconstructthesocietalsignificationofmovementcultureandsport.”In:KnutDietrich(ed.):HowSocietiesCreateMovementCultureandSport.UniversityofCopenhagen:InstituteofExerciseandSportSciences,10-32. 2010:BodilyDemocracy.London:Routledge Elias,Norbert1939:ÜberdenProzessderZivilisation.SoziogenetischeundpsychogenetischeUntersuchungen.Frankfurt/M.:Suhrkamp.–English1982:TheCivilizingProcess.Oxford:Blackwell 1970:WasistSoziologie?München:Juventa.–English1978:WhatisSociology?NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress. Foucault,Michel1966:Lesmotsetleschoses.Paris:Gallimard.–English1970:TheOrderofThings.AnArcheologyoftheHumanSciences.NewYork:Pantheon Kalckhoff,Andreas(1982):"HistorischeVerhaltensforschung:EthnologieunsererVergangenheit.DieKonfigurationeinesAufstandesim10.Jahrhundert",inGehlen,Rolf&Wolf,Bernd(eds.):WernerMüllerzuseinem75.Geburtstag,UnterdemPflasterliegtderStrand11.Berlin:KarinKramer. Nitschke,August1975:KunstundVerhalten.AnalogeKonfigurationen.Stuttgart-BadCannstatt:Frommann-Holzboog 1975(ed.):VerhaltenswandelinderindustriellenRevolution.Stuttgart:Kohlhammer 1981:HistorischeVerhaltensforschung.Stuttgart:Ulmer Sloterdijk,Peter1998/2004:Sphären.PluraleSphärologie.Vols.1-3,Frankfurt/Main:Suhrkamp. Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Configurational_analysis&oldid=969293567" Categories:AnalysisPhenomenologyAnthropologyCulturalstudies Navigationmenu Personaltools NotloggedinTalkContributionsCreateaccountLogin Namespaces ArticleTalk English Views ReadEditViewhistory More Search Navigation MainpageContentsCurrenteventsRandomarticleAboutWikipediaContactusDonate Contribute HelpLearntoeditCommunityportalRecentchangesUploadfile Tools WhatlinkshereRelatedchangesUploadfileSpecialpagesPermanentlinkPageinformationCitethispageWikidataitem Print/export DownloadasPDFPrintableversion Languages Addlinks