Whatisnonrepresentationaltheory?

PostedonJune7,2011

[ExtractfromSimpson,P.(2010)EcologiesofStreetPerformance:Bodies,Affects,Politics.
UnpublishedPhDThesis,UniversityofBristol,Bristol,pp.710]
AShortIntroductiontoNonrepresentationalTheory
Nonrepresentationaltheoryhasemergedsincethemid1990sinaseriesofpapersandbook
chapterswrittenbyThrift(seeThrift19961997199920002007)andhasalsoevolvedin
theworkofarangeofhispostgraduatestudentsduringthattime(Dewsbury,etal.2002
Dewsbury20002003Harrison200020072008McCormack200220032005Wylie
200220052006),andafewothers(Anderson2006LaurierandPhilo2006Lorimer
2005).Initsmostrecentarticulation,forThrift(2007:2),nonrepresentationaltheory
represents,mostsimply,aninterestinthegeographyofwhathappensand,[i]nlargepart,
itisthereforeaworkofdescriptionofthebarebonesofactualoccasions.Inalittlemore
detail,Lorimer(2005:84)suggeststhatits
focusfallsonhowlifetakesshapeandgainsexpressioninsharedexperiences,everyday
routines,fleetingencounters,embodiedmovements,precognitivetriggers,practicalskills,
affectiveintensities,enduringurges,unexceptionalinteractionsandsensuousdispositions
whichescapefromtheestablishedacademichabitofstrivingtouncovermeaningsand
valuesthatapparentlyawaitourdiscovery,interpretation,judgmentandultimate
representation.
Itisimportanttonotethoughthatnonrepresentationaltheoryisnotinfactanactual
theory,butsomethingmorelikeastyleofthinkingwhichvaluespractice(Thrift2000).Itis
thereforealsobestthoughtinthepluralasnonrepresentationaltheories(Andersonin
Lorimer2008).Inthisplurality,theoriesofpoststructuralists,phenomenologists,
pragmatists,feminists,andacollectionofsocialtheorists,mixinvaryingconcentrations.To
provideamorespecificanddetailedaccountofthispluraldisposition,Iwillnowdrawonthe
variousoutliningsbyThriftandothersmentionedabovetoarticulatethemainthematicsof
nonrepresentationaltheory.
Firstly,nonrepresentationaltheorytriestoattendtotheonflowofeverydaylife(Thrift
2007).Drawinginfluencefromvitalistphilosophyandphilosophiesofbecoming,this
approachrecognisestheprocessualregisterofexperienceandthattheworldismore
excessivethatwecantheorise(Dewsbury,etal.2002:437).Fromthis,andtherelated
recognitionthatconsciousnessisinfactanarrowwindowofperception,andsopositingthe
precognitiveassomethingmorethananaddendumtothecognitive(Thrift2007:6),itis

arguedthatitisvainthatwesaywhatweseewhatweseeneverresidesinwhatwesay
(Foucault2002:10).Nonrepresentationaltheorythusactsagainstacuriousvampirism,in
whicheventsaredrainedforthesakeoftheorders,mechanisms,structuresandprocesses
positedbytheanalyst(Dewsburyetal2002:p437).Instead,moreattentionisgiventothe
precognitiveaspectsofembodiedlife,theserollingmass[es]ofnervevolleys[which]
preparethebodyforactioninsuchawaythatintentionsordecisionsaremadebeforethe
consciousselfisevenawareofthem(Thrift2007:7).
Secondly,nonrepresentationaltheoryisresolutelypreindividual.Ittradesinmodesof
perceptionwhicharenotsubjectbased(Thrift2007:7).Instead,nonrepresentational
theoryisconcernedwithpracticesofsubjectification,notwithsubjects.Thissubjectification
arisesoutoftheworldbeingmadeupofallkindsofthingsbroughtintorelationwithone
anotherbymanyandvariousspacesthroughacontinuousandlargelyinvoluntaryprocessof
encounter(Thrift2007:7).Givennonrepresentationaltheorystrictlygoesagainstthe
classicalhumansubjectwhichistransparent,rationalandcontinuous(Thrift2007:14),
thishassignificantethicalimplications(seeThrift2003b)traditionalethicalquestions
becomemorecomplicated.AskingwhathaveIdone?orwhatshouldIdo?become
infinitelymorecomplexwhenthestatusofthisIaskingthequestionshasbeensignificantly
undermined.Fromthis,questionsofethicsnowmeanbecomingcriticalofnormsunder
whichweareaskedtoactbutwhichwecannotfullychooseandtakingresponsibilityforthe
dilemmasthatsubsequentlyarise(Thrift2007:14).Thisleaveuswithsomethinglikean
ethicsofjoysuchasthattobefoundintheworksofSpinoza(1996)andDeleuze(1988)
wherebyanethicalactionisthatwhichexpandscapacitiestoact,orinThriftswords,serves
tobuildnewformsoflifebyboostingaliveness(Thrift2007:14).
Third,nonrepresentationaltheoryisinterestedinthehumanbodyanditscoevolutionwith
things(Thrift2007).TheworkofMerleauPontyhasprovedakeyinfluencehere(seeThrift
1996Wylie20022006).Herethebodyisnotcountedasseparatefromtheworld,but
ratheritisarguedthatthehumanbodyisasitisbecauseofitsunparalleledabilitytoco
evolvewiththings,takingtheminandaddingthemtodifferentpartsofthebiologicalbody
toproducesomethingwhichresemble[s]aconstantlyevolvingdistributionofdifferent
hybridswithdifferentreaches(Thrift2007:10).Giventhatbodiesandthingsarenoteasily
separatedterms(Thrift1996:13),nonrepresentationaltheoryaimstoattendtothe
materialrelatednessofthebodyandworldanditsconstantlyemergentcapacitiestoactand
interact.
Inthisinterestinthebodyscoevolutionwithnonhumanthings,nonrepresentational
theorygivesequalweighttobothratherthanviewingthenonhumanasmerecladding
(Thrift2007:9).Thismeansnonrepresentationaltheoryisconcernedwithtechnologiesof
being:hybridassemblagesofknowledges,instruments,persons,systemsofjudgement,

buildingsandspaces,underpinnedattheprogrammaticlevelbycertainpresuppositions
about,andobjectivesfor,humanbeings(RosecitedinThrift1997:130).Thisviewsthe
worldasamultiplicityofheterogeneousnetworksandconnectionsneedingtobe
maintained,decentringtheCartesiannotionofagencyasbelongingsolelytothehumanand
puttingagencyintomatter(Thrift19962000).Inadditiontothestronginfluenceofthe
workofANTonnonrepresentationaltheoryhere(seeLatour2005),keyformeistherecent
emergenceofSpeculativeRealistphilosophywhichseekstopayattentiontotheexistence
andinteractionofobjects(orthings)outsideofthenecessarypresenceofahumansubject
oraccesstothis,andontheconditionthatanyaccesswouldbeincomplete(Harman2005
alsoseeMeillassoux2008).
Thisemphasisonthematerialrelatednessofthebodyisalsocloselyconnectedtonon
representationaltheorysdesiretogetintouchwiththefullrangeofregistersofthoughtby
stressingaffectandsensation(Thrift2007:12).Workonthistopichasproliferatedbothin
geographyandinthesocialsciencesrecently(seeAnderson2006AndersonandHarrison
2006Bissell2008Clough2007Dewsbury2000Gumbrecht2004Massumi2002
McCormack2003Stewart2007Thrift2004).Affectdoesnotrefertoapersonalfeeling,
butrathertoaprepersonalintensitycorrespondingtothepassagefromoneexperiential
stateofthebodytoanotherandimpliesanaugmentationordiminutioninthatbodys
capacitytoact(Massumi2004:xvii).Thesubject,orwhatweusedtounderstandby
subject,isaffective,andengagesinandemergesfromaffectivedialogicalpracticesborn
inandoutofjointaction(Thrift1997:128).Keyhereisthatthisisbetween[a]ffectsare
notaboutyouorit,subjectorobject.Theyarerelationsthatinspiretheworld(Dewsbury,et
al.2002:439[myemphasis]).
Fourthly,andfollowingoncloselyfromthispoint,nonrepresentationaltheoryconcentrates
onpractices,mundanepractices,thatshapetheconductofhumanbeingstowardsothers
andthemselvesinparticularsites(Thrift1997:127).Practicesareunderstoodasmaterial
bodiesofworkorstylesthathavegainedenoughstabilityovertime,through,forexample,
theestablishmentofcorporealroutinesandspecializeddevices,toreproducethemselves
(Thrift2007:8).Practicesarethenproductiveconcatenationsthathavebeenconstructed
outofallmannerorresourcesandwhichprovidethebasicintelligibilityoftheworld(Thrift
2007:8).
Thisinterestinpracticeshighlightsanimportantpointaboutnonrepresentationaltheory.
NonrepresentationaltheoryISinterestedinrepresentations,evenifThriftdidappearto
suggestotherwiseincertainearlymomentsofoverexuberance(seeThrift1997).Itis
importanttomakeclearthatalthoughtheprefixnonmayimplymovingawayfroma
concernwithrepresentationsandespeciallytext(Nash2000:655),[n]onrepresentational
theorytakesrepresentationsseriouslyrepresentationsnotasacodetobebrokenorasan

illusiontobedispelledratherrepresentationsareapprehendedasperformativein
themselvesasdoings(Dewsbury,etal.2002:438).Therefore,itisrepresentationalism,or
representativefixingandframingthatnonrepresentationaltheoryfindsproblematic
(Lorimer2005).
Finally,nonrepresentationaltheoryalignsitselfwithasortofexperimentalismwhichdoes
notshyawayfromprovidinganopenendedaccountoftheworld.Takinginspirationfrom
theperformingarts(Thrift2003a),nonrepresentationaltheoryseekstoescapethereading
techniquesonwhichthesocialsciencesarefoundedtoinjectanoteofwonderbackintoa
socialsciencewhich,toooften,assumesthatitmustexplaineverything(Thrift2007:12).In
asomewhatDeleuzoNietzscheanvein,nonrepresentationaltheoryismotivatedbythe
sentiment:Letustryit!(Nietzsche1974:115)ratherthanletusjudgeit(Deleuze1997).
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