Andrew's PhD

The specific technology focus that an MRDT (i.e. component/asset twin in hologram form) brings can almost fit snugly into the four human-technology-world relations. These are categorised notions that have been observed which various technologies bring about, when the human (subject) and the specific technology (object) meet. MRDTs, as their own entity, fit the bill of all four, whereas previous examples present different technologies for each of these notions. An MRDT dynamically and vividly manifests all four. Let’s consider each one. Embodiment Relations For the “embodiment relations”, where the classic eyeglass technology integrates seamlessly, embodied as it is used. As Ihde describes, "I relate to my environment, my world,” by means of such technologies, and if they are well functioning, then experientially they are “taken into my very sense of bodily experience.” My awareness of wearing glasses is a fringe awareness that gets interrupted only when there is back glare, or wh...

 For my PhD full proposal, it is important that I understand what my overarching goals are and subsequently the objectives that underpin the primary objective. The overarching objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive postphenomenological understanding of the lived experiences of users interacting with dynamic MRDTs, specifically analysing how this technology mediates their perception, action, and understanding within a hybrid physical-digital environment. By properly applying this postphenomenological framework, a robust research plan will be designed and configured as outlined in this proposal in order to extract and articulate first-person perspective accounts through appropriate and effective data collection methods. Achieving this will establish the core phenomenological data (the “what” and the “how” of experience), which will be the basis for all the potential outputs of the in-depth analysis. The primary objective of the research project is contingent upon ac...

 The literature review part of the full proposal is key to understanding the landscape and to better help me situate my research in a context where it can possibly contribute and advance the related fields

 Postphenomenology focus As I’ve done more reading on what postphenomenology is as a philosophical orientation, and what it offers to my research focus, which is a viable phenomenological exploration of MRDTs, I am becoming more convinced of its strengths. However, I am finding myself in the middle of the current debate of whether the focus on technology is either at the level with the individual or broadly, on a societal or cultural level. Ihde acknowledges that there are at least two perceptions, he calls them ‘microperception’ (on the individual level) and ‘macroperception’ (on a broad, cultural level). He does not deny their interdependency on one another but has been criticised for artificially separating them. My position is that while I acknowledge the significant impact of broader societal and cultural forces on technology, as Ihde discusses in Program Two (Ritter, 2021) , my research takes a more focused path, centering on the individual's direct experiences with MRDTs. ...

  Assignment submission due (Research Strategies Module) There is a submission on May 6 th for the module, Research Strategies, which I am currently working on. The assignment requirement is to provide my critical justification for my chosen methodology in framing and executing my research. What is the most suitable approach, and why is it appropriate for addressing the research question(s) that I have laid out for myself? This assignment question has forced me to dwell on my proposed methodology, but inevitably solidify and validate some of the methods that I have chosen. It also constantly reminded me to defend and critically analyse the methods, and not just to simply state that they align. I had to argue how it does and also discuss the limitations and the various trade-offs of prioritising one over the other.   Research Ethics Application Form Completing this form is an absolutely necessary requirement given that my methodology is going to be fully qualitative, ...

  Thinking about the philosophy of technology We have gotten so used to technology being part of our lives and our experience of this world that if we remove just a few of them, it will significantly alter not only our living operationally, but also the meaning that might come from its removal. The philosophy of technology, as a broad field of inquiry, grapples with the deep and often invisible integration, exploring questions about technological determinism , the mediation of human experience  (Ritter, 2024), the relationship between technology and society , and the fundamental ways in which our tools shape who we are and how we understand the world.  I am narrowing my research scope to the area of technology as mediating human experience  (“Mediation Theory,” 2016). It was only very recently revealed to me that technology might be seen as the manifestation of our relationship with the natural environment. This really exposes my ignorance, or rather my profoun...

This week, I started this blog to document my progress and findings as I delve into various papers, books, and other resources. I'm realizing just how vast the area of phenomenology and its philosophical framework truly is. It's amazing how you can study a person's lived experience in relation to any phenomenon. From something as simple as drinking tea or morning routines, to more complex things like work in a medical setting or traumatic experiences – it's literally quite infinite. Each person's experience is unique, and their perspective is just as valid as anyone else's. I am on week 32 since registering as a PhD student. I’ve completed the Graduate Research Skills module (10 credits) and am now in the middle of the second module, Research Strategies (10 credits).  I am doing this part-time which really means putting approximately 15-20 hours per week. I am situating my research in the study of the lived experience of the user’s interaction with mixed real...