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Inequality by design? Why we need to start talking about aesthetics, design and politics

Sloane, Mona (2016) Inequality by design? Why we need to start talking about aesthetics, design and politics. Researching Sociology (12 Sep 2016). Website.

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Abstract

These days, ‘aesthetics’ are everywhere: we encounter them as apps, as brands, as lifestyles etc. As both ubiquitous and omnipresent, ‘aesthetics’ now do not only claim a central role in narratives about how we could/should configure our everyday lives, but have quietly become a key link in the powerful interplay of sociality, design and politics: In two recent articles in The Verge and The Guardian, American writer Kyle Chayka criticises a global ‘harmonisation of taste’, i.e. the same ‘hipster aesthetic’ that characterises cafés, shops and (preferably shared) work spaces around the globe. He calls this phenomenon ‘AirSpace’. In ‘AirSpace’, a certain ‘class’ enjoys a ‘homogenous aesthetic’ made up of minimalist interior with Edison bulbs, craft beer and fast internet. Transitioning between different ‘AirSpace’ locations is smooth and almost ‘as painless as reloading a website’.

Item Type: Online resource (Website)
Official URL: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/researchingsociology/
Additional Information: © 2016 The Author(s)
Divisions: LSE
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
J Political Science > JC Political theory
J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe) > JN101 Great Britain
N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general
Date Deposited: 26 Jun 2017 09:17
Last Modified: 15 Sep 2023 20:49
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/82230

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