Experiments before Breakfast: Toys, Education and Middle-Class Childhood

Michals, Teresa

doi:10.4324/9781315238074-ch-1

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…We can also see this quest for artificial humanity in our anthropomorphic projection of life and intellect onto puppets, dolls, and companion animals (e.g. Daston and Mitman, 2005; Derby, 1970; Kuznets, 1994; Michals, 2008; Nelson, 2001). And we can see it in tales of objects coming alive, ranging from Pinocchio and Frankenstein’s monster (DeLuca, 1988; Klopp, 2012; Pizzi, 2012; Riva, 2012; Zipes, 1996) to the Brave Little Toaster (Colatrella, 1999) and the Toy Story trilogy (Honeyman, 2006; Lanier et al, 2013).…”

Section: What Is a Robot?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the robot: Comments on Goudey and Bonnin (2016)

Belk

2016

Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition)

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Goudey and Bonnin provide an important demonstration of our willingness to accept robots regardless of the degree to which they look like us. This comment seeks to expand their insights in two ways. First, by broadening our conception of what constitutes a robot, I argue that we have already accepted many non-humanoid robots, and that even robotic entities without a visual presence can be compelling and engaging. Second, I suggest expanding the original paper’s psychological treatment of category ambiguity through the anthropological treatment of Mary Douglas. Douglas suggests that category ambiguity is abhorrent because things perceived to transgress categorical boundaries challenge our cultural beliefs and social order. In the case of robots, the beliefs that are challenged are our basic understandings of what makes humans unique and privileged in the world. As machines grow more and more capable, by some accounts they threaten to eclipse and even supplant the human race. I identify several behavioral and ethical research issues that are imperative if we are to deal with and prepare for such possibilities.

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Section: What Is a Robot?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the robot: Comments on Goudey and Bonnin (2016)

Belk

2016

Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition)

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“…The ideology that parents (and grandparents) can contribute to the development of their offspring by carefully selecting toys as presents, is intimately connected to several distinctive characteristics of the ‘modern’ world: consumption, education and familial intimacy (Armstrong, 2008; Denisoff, 2008; Hamlin, 2007; Michals, 2008). The commercial success of educational toys resides in the assumption that toys contribute to the immediate generation of youngsters.…”

Section: Case Study and Methodological Reflectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regeneration: Generations remediated

Wachelder

2016

Time & Society

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This paper proposes a model for a dynamic and constructivist perspective on generations. To study synchronous, contemporary interrelations between technology, media and generations, many different methodologies are available. Yet many historical, diachronic studies are marred by flaws and ambiguities in their use of ‘generation’ as a concept. To counter those problems, this paper argues for a process-oriented approach of generations – one which is modelled after Bolter and Grusin’s remediation. By distinguishing three mechanisms – immediate generation, immediate regeneration and hypermediate regeneration – the model of regeneration is linked to three theoretical concerns: the long-standing dilemmas in the sociological study of generations, the controversy around technological determinism in technology studies and contemporary challenges in research of ageing and youth cultures. The feasibility of the regeneration approach is elucidated by applying it to toys, especially educational toys. This paper also provides a methodology for the historical study of generations interacting with media and technology by recommending the combined use of three types of biographies as source materials.

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“…Au 18 ème siècle, les automates étaient capables d'accomplir des prouesses telles que chanter, jouer d'un instrument de musique, « respirer », et bouger les mains et le corps de façon naturelle (Kang, 2011 ;Riskin, 2003 ;Voskuhl, 2013 ;Wood, 2002). Nous pouvons également retrouver cette quête de l'humanité artificielle dans notre projection anthropomorphique de la vie et de l'intelligence sur les marionnettes, les poupées et les animaux de compagnie (par exemple, Daston et Mitman, 2005 ;Derby, 1970 ;Kuznets, 1994 ;Michals, 2008 ;Nelson, 2003). De même, nous pouvons la retrouver dans certaines histoires qui mettent en scène des objets prenant vie, allant de Pinocchio et le monstre de Frankenstein (DeLuca, 1988 ;Klopp, 2012 ;Pizzi, 2012 ;Riva, 2012 ;Zipes, 1996) au Petit Grille-pain courageux (Colatrella, 1999), en passant par la trilogie Toy Story (Honeyman, 2006 ;Lanier et al, 2013).…”

Section: Qu'est-ce Qu'un Robot ?unclassified

Comprendre le robot : commentaires sur Goudey et Bonnin (2016)

Belk

2016

Recherche et Applications en Marketing (French Edition)

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Goudey et Bonnin démontrent de manière indiscutable notre volonté d’accepter les robots, indépendamment de l’ampleur de leur apparence humaine. Cette réflexion vise à approfondir leur point de vue de deux manières. Tout d’abord, en élargissant notre conception de ce qui constitue un robot, j’estime que nous avons déjà accepté bon nombre de robots non humanoïdes et que même les entités robotiques dépourvues de présence visuelle peuvent être convaincantes et attrayantes. Deuxièmement, je propose d’élargir l’analyse psychologique de « l’ambigüité catégorielle » de la publication originale grâce à l’approche anthropologique de Mary Douglas. Douglas laisse entendre que l’ambigüité catégorielle est inacceptable, car tout ce qui est perçu comme une transgression des frontières catégorielles remet en cause nos croyances culturelles et l’ordre social. Dans le cas des robots, les convictions ébranlées sont les notions fondamentales de ce qui rend les êtres humains uniques et privilégiés dans le monde. A mesure que les machines deviennent de plus en plus performantes, selon certaines sources, elles menacent d’éclipser, voire de supplanter, la race humaine. Je propose plusieurs thèmes de recherche d’ordre comportemental et éthique qu’il est indispensable d’aborder, si nous voulons faire face et nous préparer à de telles éventualités.

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Experiments before Breakfast: Toys, Education and Middle-Class Childhood

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Understanding the robot: Comments on Goudey and Bonnin (2016)

Understanding the robot: Comments on Goudey and Bonnin (2016)

Regeneration: Generations remediated

Comprendre le robot : commentaires sur Goudey et Bonnin (2016)

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