Affordances and the Logic of the Gift

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

In this essay, we investigate human relationships to Land that are implied by the notion of affordances. Some expressions can be read as supporting a logic of extraction: affordances are aspects of the environment, lying ready to be used, without any responsibility for care or reciprocation from the user of the affordance. Thinking with Indigenous philosophies and creation stories, we explore the possibility of grounding affordances in an alternative logic: the logic of the gift. The offerings of the environment, of which humans are a part, need to be reciprocated by practices of care and gratitude: only when Land is cared for and protected will it continue to offer its affordances.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAffordances in Everyday Life : A Multidisciplinary Collection of Essays
EditorsZakaria Djebbara
Number of pages9
PublisherSpringer
Publication date2022
Pages23-31
Chapter2
ISBN (Print)9783031085833
ISBN (Electronic)9783031086298
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

    Research areas

  • Affordance, Indigenous philosophies, Logic of the gift, Relationality, Solicitation

ID: 367755095