Feminist Philosophical Toys
Work in progress developing a set of interactive paper toys to teach feminist philosophy and critical design approaches, collaboration led by Nassim Parvin (Director of the Design & Social Justice Studio, Georgia Institute of Technology) and Rebecca Rouse (Director of StoryTech Studio, University of Skövde, Sweden).
Building on the history of the Victorian ‘philosophical toy’ Feminist Philosophical Toys presents a re-imagined set of paper machines as feminist materials for designers to think with. Grounded in an understanding of the rhetorical power of materialities, as inspired by thinkers new and old from Heinrich Blasche, Friedrich Fröbel, and Maria Montessori to Donna Haraway and Karen Barad, this project provides a grounded approach to feminist design and critique through the use of cut-and-fold paper objects, provided via downloadable templates.
Whereas traditional philosophical toys were luxury-object apparatuses such as the zoetrope and stereoscope, brought into the Victorian home to teach principles of human perception and disseminate the practices and principles of the scientific method, Feminist Philosophical Toys are flexible and accessible paper-based objects that push back against scientific positivism as it manifests in design, refutes the book as the primary material of the Philosophy discipline at large, and opens up feminist perspectives and methods at the intersection of philosophy, pedagogy, and design practice. As such, feminist philosophical toys are at once a reflection and extension of a feminist epistemological and ethical position: that of situated knowledges and reflexive practice grounded in relational and restorative justice.
The toys are presented in a series, designed for encounter in order from 1 to 6, and intended to be used as an integrated set within design education.
Whereas traditional philosophical toys were luxury-object apparatuses such as the zoetrope and stereoscope, brought into the Victorian home to teach principles of human perception and disseminate the practices and principles of the scientific method, Feminist Philosophical Toys are flexible and accessible paper-based objects that push back against scientific positivism as it manifests in design, refutes the book as the primary material of the Philosophy discipline at large, and opens up feminist perspectives and methods at the intersection of philosophy, pedagogy, and design practice. As such, feminist philosophical toys are at once a reflection and extension of a feminist epistemological and ethical position: that of situated knowledges and reflexive practice grounded in relational and restorative justice.
The toys are presented in a series, designed for encounter in order from 1 to 6, and intended to be used as an integrated set within design education.
Toy #1: Oracle Cards
Oracle cards are a critical and satirical play on the proliferation of design cards commonly used in design education and industry. This toy is offered to aid the designer who lacks foresight, who can benefit from the use of divination cards similar to Tarot or other oracle decks in casting their imagination into the future to conceptualise potential failures, both disastrous and pedestrian, of their own designs.
This toy works to materialize feminist theory such as:
Parvin, Nassim and Anne Pollock. 2020. Unintended by Design: On the Political Uses of “Unintended Consequences”. Engaging Science, Technology, and Society, 6, 320-327.
This toy works to materialize feminist theory such as:
Parvin, Nassim and Anne Pollock. 2020. Unintended by Design: On the Political Uses of “Unintended Consequences”. Engaging Science, Technology, and Society, 6, 320-327.
Template in progress
Toy #2: Fortune Teller
This toy draws on the classic children's origami structure known as a fortune teller or salt cellar. In this case, the toy utilizes scale to change the nature of the interaction with the material form, scaling the fortune teller up to a larger size such that it can only be operated in collaboration with two or more people, and cannot be used alone. The collaborative nature of the oversized form is also used to develop the content for the fortune "flaps," which display co-authored and/or co-illustrated representations of speculative futures.
This toy works to materialize feminist theory such as:
Grosz, E. (2000). "Histories of a Feminist Future." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 25(4), 1017-1021.
Martins, L. (2014) Privilege and Oppression: Towards a Feminist Speculative Design, in Lim, Y., Niedderer, K., Redström, J., Stolterman, E. and Valtonen, A. (eds.), Design's Big Debates - DRS International Conference 2014, 16-19 June, Umeå, Sweden.
This toy works to materialize feminist theory such as:
Grosz, E. (2000). "Histories of a Feminist Future." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 25(4), 1017-1021.
Martins, L. (2014) Privilege and Oppression: Towards a Feminist Speculative Design, in Lim, Y., Niedderer, K., Redström, J., Stolterman, E. and Valtonen, A. (eds.), Design's Big Debates - DRS International Conference 2014, 16-19 June, Umeå, Sweden.
Template in progress
Toy #3: Circular Conversation
The circular conversation toy is focused on relevant feminist scholarship that emphasizes the circularity of struggle, structures that maintain the status quo, and modes for breaking free from oppressive cycles. Inspiration is drawn from medieval volvelles as well as more contemporary 20th century "circle charts."
This toy works to materialize feminist theory such as:
Ahmed, Sara. (2021) Complaint! Durham NC: Duke University Press.
Boal, Augusto. Trans. Adrian Jackson. (2006) The Aesthetics of the Oppressed. London and New York: Routledge.
Harro, Bobbie. (2018) “The Cycle of Socialization.” In: Adams, Maurianne, et. al, Eds. Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, Fourth edition. London and New York: Routledge. pp. 27-34.
Harro, Bobbie. (2018) “The Cycle of Liberation.” In: Adams, Maurianne, et. al, Eds. Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, Fourth edition. London and New York: Routledge. pp. 627-634.
This toy works to materialize feminist theory such as:
Ahmed, Sara. (2021) Complaint! Durham NC: Duke University Press.
Boal, Augusto. Trans. Adrian Jackson. (2006) The Aesthetics of the Oppressed. London and New York: Routledge.
Harro, Bobbie. (2018) “The Cycle of Socialization.” In: Adams, Maurianne, et. al, Eds. Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, Fourth edition. London and New York: Routledge. pp. 27-34.
Harro, Bobbie. (2018) “The Cycle of Liberation.” In: Adams, Maurianne, et. al, Eds. Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, Fourth edition. London and New York: Routledge. pp. 627-634.
Download this PDF handout with template, prompts, and resources to give this toy a try yourself!
| toy_3_circular_conversation_prompt.pdf |
Toy #4: Experience Frames
The experience frames toy works to explore feminist scholarship that emphasizes the role of positionality in ways of knowing. The toy takes inspiration from 19th century movable books, such as die-cut accordion books by Lothar Meggendorfer.
This toy works to materialize feminist theory such as:
Crenshaw, K. (1990) “Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color.” Stanford Law Review, 43, 1241.
Carastathis, A. (2013) “Basements and intersections.” Hypatia, 28(4), 698-715.
Takacs, D. (2003) “How Does Your Positionality Bias Your Epistemology?” Thought & Action, Summer 2003: 27 - 38.
This toy works to materialize feminist theory such as:
Crenshaw, K. (1990) “Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color.” Stanford Law Review, 43, 1241.
Carastathis, A. (2013) “Basements and intersections.” Hypatia, 28(4), 698-715.
Takacs, D. (2003) “How Does Your Positionality Bias Your Epistemology?” Thought & Action, Summer 2003: 27 - 38.
Download this PDF handout with template, prompts, and resources to give this toy a try yourself!
| toy_4_experience_frames_prompt.pdf |
Toy #5: Agonistic Fold Book
Toy in development, will explore feminist scholarship on incommensurability, agonism, and the value of conflict, such as the work of Chantal Mouffe and bell hooks.
Toy #6: in development!
The final toy will provide an opportunity for holistic reflection, and will bring the other five toys into relation with each other.
Workshops, Presentations & Publications
March 2020 Presentation at Material Feminisms in the Making: of Messiness and Social Justice in the Practices of Art, Design, and Education
http://techfutures.lmc.gatech.edu/material-feminisms
April 2020 Workshop with masters and PhD students in Digital Media Studies course, taught by Prof. Nassim Parvin at Georgia Institute of Technology
October 2021 Making and Doing session at 4S
http://techfutures.lmc.gatech.edu/material-feminisms
April 2020 Workshop with masters and PhD students in Digital Media Studies course, taught by Prof. Nassim Parvin at Georgia Institute of Technology
October 2021 Making and Doing session at 4S