Values

1
Values Worth

• Janet Tatlock, Sam Lackey Jolene Debert

2

• In the tutorial Encountering Objects you
  discovered that
• objects are described in different ways by
  different people
• mean different things to different people and may
  be valued in different ways.

3

• You also discovered that other things, apart from
  the object itself, might contribute to its value.
• The kinds of things that might be described as
  context such as where and how an object is
  displayed, or the source of information about the
  object.

4

• In this tutorial we are going to explore some
  of the many different kinds of value that can be
  attributed to an object.
• We are also going to ask you to consider if
  some kinds of value are worth more than
  others is this pecking order (hierarchy) of
  value always fixed and who decides what it should
  be.

5
In the tutorial Encountering Objects you were
able to access other peoples opinion about the
objects. Some of the people were experts in
particular areas. You were able to use their
opinions and the
information they provided to help you decide
how to rank the objects and
say why you chose that particular order.
6

• The views that you read were interpretations
• When you produced the reasons for the order in
  which you placed the objects you were offering
  your interpretation.
• You were beginning to contribute to what is
  termed scholarly debate about the objects

7

• As a student at University you will be
  required to develop these interpretive skills.
• You will be expected to research the
  interpretations offered by others and decide
  which you agree or disagree with.
• You will be required to provide reasons for
  your decisions just as you did when making your
  lists.
• This is called constructing your argument and
  this is how you will attempt to persuade others
  of you viewpoint.

8
One of the things that you will have discovered
is that people have different interpretations and
that all of these may be valid (convincing).
Lets explore this further by looking at an
everyday object.. How much do you think
this is worth? Write amount in your notepad
9
Most of you may have expressed the worth as a
monetary value, but there are other kinds of
worth that might impact on monetary valueThe
following cups of coffee have been awarded a
monetary value
85
15.99
priceless
2.50
Give a possible explanation for these
values. Write these in your notepad.
7.50
10
Click on the images to hear an opinion about the
monetary value, but at the same time note that
other values may be expressed, implicitly
(hidden) or explicitly (openly)
priceless
15.99
2.50
85
O
7.50
11
priceless
This coffee is priceless to me it has been grown
on my familys land and this land has been in my
family for generations. It has been such hard
work sometimes but my ancestors have always
worked hard and we are proud of the quality of
our coffee. All of my family work in some way in
connection with the cultivation, production and
marketing of this coffee it is a part of our
lives. Click here to return to previous slide
12
2.50
Not the best coffee that I have ever drunk but my
goodness that was an amazing investment. Ive
just struck the best business deal and that 2.50
coffee might just make me a million! Click here
to return to previous slide
13
15.99
This is actually a poster of a cup of coffee and
the 15.99 represents the cost of the poster
things may not be always what they
seem Click here to return to previous slide
14
85
Kopi Luwak are the Indonesian words for coffee
and the common palm civet, a weasel-like animal.
This is the most expensive coffee in the world
and is made from coffee beans eaten, partly
digested and then excreted by the civet. The
animal eats the raw beans and digests the outer
red part but the beans inside are undigested.
This process is said to remove the bitter
flavour it is served in very small
amounts! Click here to return to previous slide
15
7.50
This costs me 7.50 every third Friday, it means
that I am a bit short of money for lunch on that
day but it really is worth every penny. Its not
just a cup of coffee its the fact that I get to
talk to my friends, we all went to school
together but now we are working in different
places and it is the only time we see each other
regularly. It has actually become much more than
a cup of coffee together, it is much more of a
ritual. We always sit in the same place and
whoever buys coffee gets to tell their
news/problem first Click here to return to
previous slide
16
Earlier we mentioned monetary value how much
things cost in terms of money.During the coffee
exercise you encountered some different kinds of
value, add to Notebook some of the different
kinds of value you have encountered.
17
Determiners of Value
Many of you will have used monetary value as a
way of measuring other values..

• This painting was thought to be by Turner but
  became less valuable in financial terms when it
  was discovered that he, a famous artist, had not
  painted it.

• But nothing about the actual painting had
  changed it was still the same painting but some
  of the contextual information had changed and
  that caused the painting to be considered less
  valuable in terms of money.

18

• This may tell us something significant about
  our society that the overarching measure chosen
  to evaluate all other values is monetary.
• So for example whilst we may acknowledge that
  an object that has a distinctly personal value to
  one individual may have a different personal
  value to another, we tend to assess the personal
  values attributed to the object by referring to a
  monetary scale how much would each person be
  prepared to pay.

12k
???
5k
19
Quiz
20

• Reflection

21
(No Transcript)
22
(No Transcript)
23
(No Transcript)
24
(No Transcript)
25

• Evaluating objects and interpretations
• Janet Tatlock, Sam Lackey Jolene Debert

26

• Introduce topic
• Different people will ask different questions
  about an object depending on what they want to
  know. In the next section you will be presented
  with an object and a number of people who present
  their interpretations.

27
Interpreting an object
The following screen provides access to four
experts comments on the Iranian Donkey
Harness. Each expert comments on the Origin,
Meaning and Value of the artefact from a
particular disciplinary perspective When you have
listened to their views you will be asked a
series of questions
28
Fine Art Curator Historian
Archaeologist Curator of Anthropology

• Origin
• Meaning
• Value
• References

29
Fine Art Curator

• Origin

30

• Fine Art Curator

• Meaning

31
Fine Art Curator

• Value

32
Historian

• Origin

33
Historian

• Meaning

34
Historian

• Value

35
Archaeologist

• Origin

is an Iranian Donkey Harness. It dates to
historic times. It originates in the foothills of
the Iranian mountains. It is comprised of fabric,
wool, shell, stone beads and a brass bell.
36
Archaeologist

• Meaning

The Iranian Donkey Harness is not simply a
harness for the control of the animal. The bright
colours and the time and care taken to make the
harness was a sign of the wealth of the
individual and their family. Most people would
have one of these highly decorated harness but
also several non-decorated more utilitarian
types.
37
Archaeologist

• Value

The Iranian Donkey Harness is not simply valued
by the materials in which it is constructed. This
said the beads included on this harness was used
as money and as such would have had considerable
value. Though harnesses like this are still being
made and the use of the beads as money has ceased
there is much that can be learnt from the
harness. As an archaeologist I am able to narrow
down the location of manufacture by sourcing the
materials and designs used. Also as the Donkey
Harness is a signifier of status of the family it
allows a great deal to be learnt about the people
who used and handed down the harness.
38
Curator of Anthropology
Origin
39
Curator of Anthropology

• Meaning

40
Curator of Anthropology

• Value

41
Quiz
42
reflection
43
(No Transcript)