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***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org ***** Dear humans, For those who can read french texts, I wrote a short article on the limits of the generalized symetry of B. Latour : http://sociologies.revues.org/document712.html Michel Grossetti A 12:24 18/04/2008 +0100, [log in to unmask] a écrit : >***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org ***** > >Dear Loet and colleagues, > >I agree entirely with the distinction between human and non-human >actors, and the extension to it that non-human actors (trees...) engage >human subjectivity / intersubjectivity. I am even prepared to accept >that living things (trees ... dogs) interact with human actors with >energy waves, patterns and links - so what we 'see' and interpret in a >tree is beyond the physical presence of this tree. > >I believe, only a distinction between different categories of actors can >enable us to explain (theoretically) the process of interaction of the >Dutch Princess with the trees, the meaning and impact of this >interaction to her, and to the rest of the society. More distinctions >and more precise categories we use in our analysis and interpretation >will enable us even to disentangle the Latourean concept of >actor-networks - which puts huge emphasis on the context and the 'stage' >where the interaction takes place. In this sense - all non-human actors >are 'brought' by the analyst to the stage - which is a purely social >construction. > >I am really interested to see efforts for formalisation of this >context, in which networks emerge and in which we analyse networks. I >think we can assume that this context is entirely 'social' - as it is >our context. > > >Emanuela Todeva > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Social Networks Discussion Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On >Behalf Of Loet Leydesdorff >Sent: 18 April 2008 09:45 >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: German shepherd and social networks > >***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org ***** > >> I have tried to make a contribution to this line of argumentation in >> my book on 'business networks: strategy and structure', but Loet's >> suggestion to look at actor-network theory as a starting point (and >> perhaps to embrace some of their conceptual apparatus) is very >> relevant. > >Dear Emanuela and colleagues, > >In the Netherlands, we have a princess of the royal family who claims to >talk to the trees. The trees seem to tell her and each other interesting >stories. :-) > >Let us distinguish various options: > >1. As an analyst, one can make a clear distinction between human and >non-human communication in terms of intentionality and >meaning-processing following the sociological tradition (Mead, Husserl, >Schutz, Berger & Luckman, Luhmann). > >2. From this perspective, the non-human elements can impact on the >inter-human communication (e.g., object (libidonous) relations; symbolic >value of objects). > >3. One can follow Latour and deny a difference between human and >non-human actants. The specifically human condition of communication >(intentionality) is then not considered relevant and the social network >analysis would not be different from other (e.g., biological) network >analysis. > >In my opinion, the latter approach confuses the formal approach (which >abstracts from substance in the relations) with an encompassing approach >which claims heterogenous substance without specifying this >heterogeneity. >The more formalized approach enables us to use concepts at one level >heuristically at another. For example, one can raise the question of >what could one win theoretically by assuming that the trees would tell >each other stories? > >With best wishes, > > >Loet > >_____________________________________________________________________ >SOCNET is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social >network researchers (http://www.insna.org). To unsubscribe, send an >email message to [log in to unmask] containing the line UNSUBSCRIBE >SOCNET in the body of the message. > >_____________________________________________________________________ >SOCNET is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social >network researchers (http://www.insna.org). To unsubscribe, send >an email message to [log in to unmask] containing the line >UNSUBSCRIBE SOCNET in the body of the message. Michel Grossetti LISST(UMR CNRS 5193) Université de Toulouse le Mirail 5, allées Antonio Machado 31058 Toulouse Cedex 9 tel : 33 (0)5 61 50 36 69 fax : 33 (0)5 61 50 38 70 Email : [log in to unmask] web : http://www.univ-tlse2.fr/cers/annuaires/fiches_indivi/permanents/Michel_Grossetti.htm _____________________________________________________________________ SOCNET is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social network researchers (http://www.insna.org). To unsubscribe, send an email message to [log in to unmask] containing the line UNSUBSCRIBE SOCNET in the body of the message.