How Artifacts Afford

The Power and Politics of Everyday Things

Ebook
On sale Aug 11, 2020 | 208 Pages | 978-0-262-35889-7
A conceptual update of affordance theory that introduces the mechanisms and conditions framework, providing a vocabulary and critical perspective.

Technological affordances mediate between the features of a technology and the outcomes of engagement with that technology. The concept of affordances, which migrated from psychology to design with Donald Norman's influential 1988 book, The Design of Everyday Things, offers a useful analytical tool in technology studies--but, Jenny Davis argues in How Artifacts Afford, it is in need of a conceptual update. Davis provides just such an update, introducing the mechanisms and conditions framework, which offers both a vocabulary and necessary critical perspective for affordance analyses.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: A Brief History of Affordances
Chapter 3: Power and Politics
Chapter 4: Mechanisms of Affordance
Chapter 5: Conditions of Affordance
Chapter 6: Affordances in Practice
Chapter 7: Conclusion
Jenny L. Davis is a sociologist at the Australian National University.

About

A conceptual update of affordance theory that introduces the mechanisms and conditions framework, providing a vocabulary and critical perspective.

Technological affordances mediate between the features of a technology and the outcomes of engagement with that technology. The concept of affordances, which migrated from psychology to design with Donald Norman's influential 1988 book, The Design of Everyday Things, offers a useful analytical tool in technology studies--but, Jenny Davis argues in How Artifacts Afford, it is in need of a conceptual update. Davis provides just such an update, introducing the mechanisms and conditions framework, which offers both a vocabulary and necessary critical perspective for affordance analyses.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: A Brief History of Affordances
Chapter 3: Power and Politics
Chapter 4: Mechanisms of Affordance
Chapter 5: Conditions of Affordance
Chapter 6: Affordances in Practice
Chapter 7: Conclusion

Author

Jenny L. Davis is a sociologist at the Australian National University.