Author: Zimmermann, Basile

Source: Design and Culture, Volume 2, Number 1, March 2010 , pp. 27-43(17)

Publisher: Berg Publishers

Abstract:

This article discusses the difference between two ideas of what written language can be - the Roman alphabet versus Chinese characters - and what happens when this difference is embodied in everyday devices such as computers or mobile phones in the People's Republic of China today.

The article's main argument is that this highly contrasted opposition brings to light an alternative to the problem of the concept of "culture," in the context of the design and use of artifacts, if we consider it as being related to a specific set of phenomena characterized by the presence of lower-level cultural elements.

Keywords: CULTURE; DESIGN; TECHNOLOGY; ACTOR-NETWORK; CHINESE SCRIPT; ROMAN ALPHABET; PINYIN; DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/175470710X12593419555126

Publication date: 2010-03-01

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