The Material Culture of Failure: When Things Do Wrong

Description

What happens when objects behave unexpectedly or fail to do what they ‘should’?  Who defines failure? Is failure always bad? Rather than viewing concepts such as failure, incoherence or incompetence as antithetical to social life, this innovative new book examines the unexpected and surprising ways in which failure can lead to positive and creative results. Combining both theoretical and ethnographic approaches to failure, The Material Culture of Failure explores how failure manifests itself and operates in a variety of contexts. The editors present ten ethnographic encounters of failure – from areas as diverse as design, textiles, religion, beauty and physical failure – covering Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Arabian Gulf. Identifying common themes such as interpersonal, national and religious articulations of power and identity, the book shows some of the underlying assumptions that are revealed when materials fail, designs crumble or things develop unexpectedly. The first anthropological study dedicated to theorizing failure, this innovative collection offers fresh insights based on the latest scholarship. Destined to stimulate a new area of research, the book makes a vital contribution to material culture studies and related social science theory. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Contents Figures Contributors Fore word: Failure and fragility: Towards a material culture of the end of the world as we knew it Acknowledgements 1 Introduction: Towards a general theory of failure Material failure and the materiality of failure Failure is NOT the binary opposite of success Failure is NOT incommensurability Failure is NOT alterity What failure is Failure is a moral accusation Failure is a moment of time Failure is a category error The order of discussion References 2 Miracles and crushed dreams: Material disillusions in the design industry Changes in material engagements From alchemy and craft to design Expectations on materials Knowing materials in design today Experimenting as way to knowing Constructive failures The role of imagination in innovation Conclusion References 3 When Krishna wore a kimono: Deity clothing as rupture and inefficacy Introduction The visual and material aesthetics of darshan Behind the altar curtain The failed garments The gopa dress The kimono dress Conclusion: (in)efficacy and the emergence of success and failure References 4 Whitened anxiety: Bottled identity in the Emirates Introduction Anthropology of the body and failure Skin and inheritance Identity in a bottle The dishdash and the abaya Being white, becoming whiter Conclusion References 5 Holy water, healing and the sacredness of knowledge Healing: a matter of redemption Going to ts’ebel: merging clinical treatment with Orthodox spiritual therapy Materializing spiritual intercession Learning and living in failure References 6 Haredi (material) cultures of health at the ‘hard to reach’ margins of the state Introduction Health and bodily care at the ‘hard to reach’ margins of the state Rescuing, recovering and returning bodies Closing remarks Acknowledgements References 7 Failure as constructive participation? Being stupid in the suburbs The ASP ‘Stupid’ informants The Seething Villagers Context and failed performativity The productive aspect of ASP’s silent map Conclusions References 8 Destruction of locality: On heritage and failure in ‘crisis Syria’ Heritage, performativity and Syrianness ‘Suriyyah bakheer’ (Syria is fine) ‘Ahrar Tadmor’ (free Palmyra) Thinking through failure Conclusion Acknowledgements References 9 Axis of incoherence: Engagement and failure between two material regimes of Christianity The Orthodox temple Vesting the temple Sensible coherence Axis of incoherence Conclusion Acknowledgements References 10 The materiality of silence: Assembling the absence of sound and the memory of 9/.11 Absent silence Aural materiality First moment of silence Assembling silence Second moment of silence Conclusion Acknowledgements Funding References Afterword Failure References Index