Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Communication Studies
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
In this dissertation, I investigate how partnering with ordinary, everyday objects can unsettle our understanding of the human subject. I employ a framework of phenomenological, somatic, and ecological partnering to analyze instances in performance where humans engage with these objects in non-utilitarian, non-instrumental ways. I argue that such interactions qualify as ‘partnering’ because the humans approach the objects with respect and grant them a certain degree of autonomy.
Building on puppetry and physical performance traditions, this project also gestures toward an ethically grounded ecological sensibility. It demonstrates that objects—far from being inanimate—play a crucial role in creating performance, both enabling and challenging the human performer’s actions. In so doing, the dissertation exposes how persistent binary thinking, rooted in logics of self and other, overlooks the deep entanglement of all beings. Ultimately, this perspective highlights how practices that treat identities as static can obscure the fundamental fluidity and connectedness of existence. My argument about “partnering with objects” unsettles notions of human subjectivity.
Date
5-27-2025
Recommended Citation
Pearsall, Josiah W., "Partnering with Objects: Unsettling the Human in Contemporary Performance" (2025). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 6807.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/6807
Committee Chair
Erincin, Serap