Study Session Report: 『手の倫理』
On February 18, 2025, IDEAFUND Co., Ltd.(Founder & CEO: Naoko Okawachi, Tokyo) hosted an internal study session about communication through tactile sense by referring to 『手の倫理』 authored by Asa Ito.
Book Summary
This book explains the traditional Western theories about the sense of touch from three perspectives and rethinks about them, Based on concrete communications through haptics(hands) and human relationships in them, this book contemplates on good ways of ‘さわる’ and ‘ふれる’.
Discussion
In the study meeting, there was a discussion in which participants commented that regarding ‘durability’ referred to as a characteristic of traditional Western theories about the sense of touch, we can analogically think about the subject of a period and the number of times in fieldworks. There was also a discussion about differences between communications in person and online communications. Furthermore, reading a concrete case introduced in the book, one participant recalled their own experience and deepened their understanding of it.
A Word from the Presenter
The reason for picking up this book in this study meeting is I guessed that through the ideas and the examples presented in the book, participants would reflect on communications in daily lives where tactile sensation foregrounds, and that the meeting would be a chance for sharing their experiences. This book gave me a mysterious texture. Not only did I receive the content as objective information, but I also was unexpectedly reminded of the somatic experiences in the past. That led me to feel embarrassed and I was prompted to introspect. On the other hand, I recalled my lively past experiences. I thought that the participants would receive this kind of jolt and would broaden the range of situations to be focused on during the limited period time in fieldwork in business. Also, although this book is not written in the field of anthropology, the author’s guiding principle of thinking about ‘ethics’ which is a question about concrete situations, in the context of concrete actions, is very suggestive. — Hiromichi Takenaka
About IDEAFUND
IDEAFUND is a professional research company located in Tokyo. With the corporate mission of “Accelerate Innovation with an Idea,” IDEAFUND Co., Ltd. brings together professionals in fields such as cultural anthropology. We are committed to deriving insights and creating new business needs through behavioral observation research. Since its foundation in 2018, its founder, Naoko, and her colleagues have applied the methodology of cultural anthropology to market/consumer research. Through this approach, we aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of consumers and users, thereby identifying opportunities for innovation.
- IDEAFUND CO., Ltd.
- https://ideafund.co.jp/en/
- ESOMAR Corporate Member
Contact info:
info@ideafund.co.jp