Another way in which I relate to the word materialist - someone who's concerned with the material reality of our lives. The material ways in which we are set back by exclusion, disadvantage, oppression. The material reality of colonisation. The material reality of later industrialisation. The more I go down that path, the more I see that the material reality of what we *have* can alienate us from the material reality of the bodies we have to *be* in. So the last frontier of the material for me is our bodies -- and harnessing a particular attention to our first material homes, rather than being taken along for the ride by the body's material impulses. Does that sound like something you might relate to?
Super interesting series -- so glad I chanced upon these essays tonight Helen.
Thank you so much for your kind words Malavika! Really appreciate your energy and thoughts =) Absolutely, I hear you -- you touched on the perpetual struggle between what we are vs what we can and want to be. It's an essential struggle that everyone faces everyday in all places.
Your comment also reminded of Foucault's (in)famous theory of biopolitics. I don't agree with everything Foucault proposed, but I find the angle he adopted to look at certain social issues very fascinating and worthy of serious engagement.
Another way in which I relate to the word materialist - someone who's concerned with the material reality of our lives. The material ways in which we are set back by exclusion, disadvantage, oppression. The material reality of colonisation. The material reality of later industrialisation. The more I go down that path, the more I see that the material reality of what we *have* can alienate us from the material reality of the bodies we have to *be* in. So the last frontier of the material for me is our bodies -- and harnessing a particular attention to our first material homes, rather than being taken along for the ride by the body's material impulses. Does that sound like something you might relate to?
Super interesting series -- so glad I chanced upon these essays tonight Helen.
Thank you so much for your kind words Malavika! Really appreciate your energy and thoughts =) Absolutely, I hear you -- you touched on the perpetual struggle between what we are vs what we can and want to be. It's an essential struggle that everyone faces everyday in all places.
Your comment also reminded of Foucault's (in)famous theory of biopolitics. I don't agree with everything Foucault proposed, but I find the angle he adopted to look at certain social issues very fascinating and worthy of serious engagement.