SESSIONS - PAPER


Application of the Kinetography Laban to studies in Social Sciences
Naoko Abe, JAPAN/FRANCE

What does the Kinetography Laban enable to studies in Social Sciences? How does this method contribute to understand social phenomena? The objective of my approach is to propose the discussion about the application of the Kinetography Laban to studies in Social Sciences.

My PhD research focuses on spontaneous collective behaviors in the public transportation. How do people move in a platform, in a corridor or in a wagon, for example? How do people act according to others? I try to understand social dynamics in public transportation by behavioral observations.

I propose firstly, the debate about the usefulness of the notation comparing to other methods especially digital methods.

Secondly, I study the relationship, between an object and an observer/notator, which is created within a process of notation. An observation with the Laban notation is not similar to an outside observation; it requires a kind of methodological “empathy” that still needs to be well studied. While notating, a notator tries to realize actions and gestures of the individual at the same time as he/she is observing. In other words, a notator can experiment what the individual does by himself. I am therefore interested in the study of this relationship that could be both subjective and objective simultaneously.

Concretely, I note behaviors of subway users to understand what is happening when people is involved in collective in public transportation, and how they act towards others.

Also, I note behaviors of subway users in Paris and in Tokyo in comparative fashion in order to understand the cultural behavioral differences.

I shall show that the notation would permit, firstly, to develop our capacity of rigorous observation, and secondly, to create a category of behavior and then to analyze it.

The notation could therefore contribute to study social phenomena such like spontaneous collective behaviors and I shall point out some possible limitations we will have to take care of.

Bibliography
- Farnell B. M., 1994, Ethno-Graphics and the Moving Body, Man, New Series, Vol.29, N°4, p.929-974
-Hutchinson A., 1977, Labanotation, Theatre Arts Books, NY
-Laban R., 1988, The Master of Movement, Northcote House, UK
-McPhail C, Schweingruber D, “A Method for Systematically Observing and Recording Collective Action”, 1999, in Sociological Methods & Research, Vol.27 N°4, p.451-498

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