Sensing Differently
For purposes of this research program, “atmospheres” are defined as a product of the copresence of subject and environment with marked cultural and temporal as well as spatial, meteorological and affective dimensions. The overarching objectives of the “Sensing Differently” project are: 1) to explore the concept of atmosphere that comes out of the German philosophical tradition (most notably the work of Gernot Böhme) and operationalize it for purposes of social scientific research into processes of inclusion and exclusion through examining it from multiple disciplinary angles – sonic interaction design and media arts (Grond), sociology (Unger), anthropology (Howes) and occupational science (Park); and, 2) to enrich the practice of sensory ethnography through the incorporation of assisted listening technologies(binaural microphone arrays, and volumetric audio) that capture 1st person experiential perspectives in unobtrusive and potentially highly revelatory ways.
Axis 1, “Attuning Atmospheres for Inclusion,” seeks to tap into the experience of neurodivergent subjects as they navigate everyday situations that they find challenging due to their heightened sensory acuities and sensitivities and alternative sensory processing patterns. Axis 2, “Transgressive Sounds and Atmospheres,” explores the experience of musicians engaged in the production of challenging musical environments that incorporate noise, sound art (found sounds), improvisatory and experimental compositions during a series of curated jam sessions or residencies.
We shall work our findings from the sorties in the company of neurodivergent co-researchers and the jam sessions and residencies with musicians into “performative sensory environments” (PSEs). The latter will be staged at the Concordia 4th Space gallery. These events are designed to sensitize visitors to the PSE to the boundaries and challenges that neurodivergent subjects confront in their everyday life and to envision and implement “sensory friendly zones” where neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals can discover a common ground. Our overarching aim is twofold: to demarginalize Montreal’s extreme music community and to demarginalize the heightened acuities and sensitivities and alternate sensory processing patterns of the neurodivergent community and thereby pluralize the concepts of “sensory integration” and “social participation” that come out of the rehabilitation science literature.
This project is generously funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Insight Development Grant) for the period 2024-2026. It also incorporates the findings of a series of prior research projects funded by diverse agencies, offices, research centres and departments.
