AUT: cognitive mapping

["Nate Holdren" <nateholdren@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

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Hi Chris-
sorry if this is a dumb question, but what's cognitive mapping? I sort of
have associated the term with neuroscience, people studying the topography
of brains and stuff.
the idea of studying and critically engaging with the language that folks
use in describing and conducting their radical political activity sounds
very worthwhile and fascinating, even more the attempt to get people to
critical engage with their own/each others' vocabularies. How would you go
about this? (this is the cognitive mapping bit that I'm fuzzy on.)

One other thing - you noted that much of the discussion in response to your
post has not been on target to what you wanted to raise. One person (I
forget your name, sorry comrade) said something about looking at what people
do rather than at who their favorite book is written by, which really hit
home and nicely summed up some of the frustrations I've had w/ folks being
more attached to the tags we hang on ideas (anarchism, marxism, etc) than on
the contents of those ideas. I realize that you're aiming to talk about this
whole diversity-of-tactics thing and not about the whole
radical-affiliation-as-identity-politics thing, but they seem like related
matters.

best,
Nate


>From: Chris Hurl <munkah@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: AUT: Re: Cognitive Mapping
>Date: Sun, 07 Jul 2002 18:02:23 -0700
>

I feel that all this is beside the mainpoint that I am trying to make. 
Regardless of what "activists" choose to call themselves, their
actions presuppose a particular conception of how the field of "opposition"
has been laid out.  In order to act, groups must, in part, anticipate how
other groups are going to act.  By engaging in a cognitive mapping project I
seek to explore how these schemas are constructed, how different people
attach feelings of belonging to particular groups, and feelings of
opposition to other groups.  Likewise, from an alternative conception of the
"cognitive map" (which remains for me rather vague) I could seek to trace
the material relations that lead to the production of particular documents,
newspapers, conferences, etc.  In doing so, I may trace the central nodes
and peripheries of the movement, uncovering latent power relations. 
Further, I hope that this sort of approach may allow "activists" to
critically engage the language that they are using, and actively define
terms such as "diversity" which remain hollow receptacles to be filled with
the power relations between different groups.  You mention that an emphasis
must be placed on "communication".  I simply hope that maybe by critically
engaging "activists" in a different sort of way new avenues for
communication may be opened up.
chris   



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From: Chris Hurl <munkah@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: AUT: Re: Cognitive Mapping
Date: Sun, 07 Jul 2002 18:02:23 -0700
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<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
<P>Hey Harald and all,</P>
<P>I feel that all this is beside the mainpoint that I am trying to make.&nbsp; Regardless of what "activists" choose to call themselves, their actions&nbsp;presuppose a particular&nbsp;conception of how the field of "opposition" has been laid out.&nbsp; In order to act, groups must, in part, anticipate how other groups are going to act.&nbsp; By&nbsp;engaging in a cognitive mapping project I seek to explore how these schemas are constructed, how different people attach feelings of belonging to particular groups, and&nbsp;feelings of opposition to other groups.&nbsp; Likewise, from an alternative conception of the "cognitive map" (which remains for me rather vague) I could seek to trace the material relations that lead to the production of particular documents, newspapers, conferences, etc.&nbsp; In doing so, I may trace the central nodes and peripheries of the movement, uncovering latent power relations.&nbsp; Further, I hope that this sort of approach may allow "activists" to critically engage the language that they are using, and actively define terms such as "diversity" which remain hollow receptacles to be filled with the power relations between different groups.&nbsp; You mention that an emphasis must be placed on "communication".&nbsp; I simply hope that maybe by critically engaging "activists" in a different sort of way new avenues for communication may be opened up.</P>
<P>chris&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. <a href='http://g.msn.com/1HM1ENCA/c157??PI=44318'>Click Here</a><br></html>


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