Mediating+the+body

Copyright & Citation

• Licensed under CC BY_ND

• Reference: Jethani, S. (2015) ‘Mediating the Body: Technology, Politics and Epistemologies of Self’, Communication, Politics & Culture, Vol. 47, issue 3, pp. 34-43.

Abstract

• Examines digital technologies for tracking physiological processes to generate personal agency and self-betterment

• Focuses on the politics of self-tracking, its methodologies, and implications on individual autonomy.

Key Themes

• Self-Tracking Technologies:

  • Track physiological data (heart rate, activity, sleep) and behaviors (food consumption, hydration).

  • Raises issues of control and power over personal health data.

• Quantified Self Movement:

  • Engages individuals in data collection to improve personal health and goals.

• Latencies in Self-Tracking:

  • Proposes 'latency' as a critical concept that reveals gaps in self-tracking methodologies.

  • Suggests analyzing political dimensions through the 'code/body.'

Methodological Challenges

• Newness of self-tracking complicates research.

• Need for innovative analytical frameworks.

• Distinction between individual tracking and collective analysis is pivotal.

Conceptual Models

• Code/Body:

  • The body as defined and mediated by technology - new ways to understand data and health through technological lenses.

• Affordances:

  • Features of tracking technologies that shape user interactions and health perceptions.

Political Implications

• Potential for resistance against pre-existing power structures through collective actions.

• Importance of community coalitions in shaping future health technologies and practices.

Conclusion

• Critical engagement with self-tracking opens conversations about health, autonomy, and resistance in the neoliberal context.

• Encouragement to rethink the impacts of self-tracking on societal norms and healthcare paradigms.