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The things signs do: Cultural history through the work of the Isotype Institute

Henning, Michelle

Authors

Michelle Henning



Abstract

This paper addresses how cultural history conceives of cultural forms and practices: as mediated expressions of socio-economic reality or as participants in the production of that reality. I explore this through a case study of the Isotype Institute, and its relation to scientific management, or Taylorism. Using examples of Isotype associates’ roles in pre-war and wartime social and economic planning movements, this paper considers how Isotype emerged from and participated in the dissemination of Taylorisms different from the one understood now and suggests that Isotype was not a cultural translation of Taylorism but an agent in the production of new social arrangements.

Citation

Henning, M. (2008, August). The things signs do: Cultural history through the work of the Isotype Institute. Paper presented at Orientations: The International Society for cultural history conference, Ghent

Presentation Conference Type Conference Paper (unpublished)
Conference Name Orientations: The International Society for cultural history conference
Conference Location Ghent
Start Date Aug 27, 2008
End Date Aug 31, 2008
Peer Reviewed Not Peer Reviewed
Keywords Taylorism, cultural history, Otto Neurath, Isotype
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1010369


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