Notes on Case 11 VISUAL DATA

CASE 11: Visual Data
Notes

-pictures show detail and context in a way that words cannot
-the meaning of the pictures depend on the context and that depends on the observer’s making sense of things
-visual data- goes beyond pics to anything we can see; however, the question is, what does it represent to the individual who views it

-same challenge with using visual data as any other data…the interpretation needs justification

“The Neurophysiology of Cognition: Language and Social Interaction in the Work of Humberto Maturana”

Pressing question in social science research: interpretation…how we know and understand the world

Galileo and Descartes: believed in a “body – mind dualism”…external phenomenon separate from thoughts and feelings

Maturana has challenged this view, as well as, Martin Heidegger

-they believe that “the essence of our intelligence is in our practical involvement in the world in which we act unreflectively, for there is no neutral viewpoint from which we can see our beliefs as things. Heidegger calls this involvement with the ‘ready to hand’” p. 107

Heidegger describes life “as a process not a product…be-ing, not being” p. 108

Both researchers believe that living in the world cannot be separate from what is happening…we are a part of what happens…cannot ‘stand apart’ from it p. 108

Both researchers reached the same conclusions even though their approaches differed…Maturana through scientific research and Heidegger through reflection and reason

Maturana- has a ‘reflexive understanding of the relationship between the material and social worlds’ p.108

Maturana’s research: 3 conclusions- theory of perception, theory of living systems and a theory of language and cognition



Theory of Perception:
-in his research he was interested in the relationship between perception and the world being perceived p. 109…he studied frogs’ vision
-he noticed that when a white stick is illuminated by white light from one side and a red light from the other, 2 shadows are cast…one red and one green…conclusion that there was no simple correlation between wavelength and perceived color

Generally speaking…’we cannot distinguish between an event and our experience of it’ p. 109
-he theorized that,

“perception must be studied from the inside- that we must look at the nervous system as a generator of phenomena, rather than as a filter on the mapping of reality…Perception is a mental, rather than a physical activity” p. 110

-Maturana agrees with Garfinkel’s ‘reflexive relationship between phenomena and their interpretation’ p. 111
-no difference between what is real and what is perceived by the individual

A Theory of Living System:

-Maturana believes that we experience an event and then we make sense of it…we cannot ‘stand outside of ourselves to distinguish between reality and illusion’ p. 111

A Theory of Cognition and Language:

-believed that cognition and language are both social and physical phenomena p. 112 and ALWAYS context dependent…language and cognition can only be interpreted in context
-this is why computer programs that attempt to use language fail as language is so contextual and computers cannot interpret the complexity of multiple contexts

“the only reality is our experiences as we express them in language. We use experiences to explain experiences” p. 113