About the name of the blog

Do we need forks? is a name that reflects my philosophy about technology - the first question we should ask is "Do I NEED this?" Will it make my life and meaningful occupations easier, or better in some way?
As a student (first time around), I remember reading a scene from a play set in the 1600s, where French nobles were wondering what to do with a fork. The social context meant that forks were unnecessary. In that time, people would
bring a knife, use a spoon for liquids, and hands for everything else. In a different social context where people are concerned about hygiene, a fork seems relevant. Or you could just wash your hands really well before each meal.
This philosophy about technology relates well to frameworks of occupational therapy. We look at the person - do they really need this technology? - the occupation - how meaningful is this occupation and do they need technology to make it easier to participate in? - and the environment, which includes social factors - is this technology going to fit with their environment?

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

What does baking mean to me?

Mary asked us to write down words that express what our activity means to us, and here is what I came up with:





















I also thought of the poem 'Sunlight (for my grandmother)' by William Bedford.

This poem helped me link baking into the wider set of activities we call labour, as well as my history.  Although the kitchen in the poem is not exactly like the kitchen of my grandmother, there are parts I recognize, the sunlight coming in through the trees, Grandma sitting at the table; doing everything there, the crossword, reading the paper, dealing with fruit that was to be cooked, talking and having a cup of tea.  These are universal rhythms, life and death, and eating.  The kitchen is a centre for other food gathering activities to occur around.

Bedford, W. (1980). Three poems by William Bedford. Ariel: A review of international English literature, 11(1), 47-48.

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