ElioJahaj

Waste,DisgustandtheBody
WrittenAssignment1

AutomatingtheAnalZone

Itisunorthodoxtothinkofbathroomsasmeetingvenues,unlesssaidmeetingisofa
shadynature.However,withouthavingtotakeanygreatleapofimagination,itbecomesclear
thatbathroomsareinteractionalhotspotsforsomeagents,inthiscasenatureandnurture.For
itisournaturalurgesandneedsthatdirectustowardsthebathroominthefirstplace,onlytobe
greetedandinstructedbyitsenvironmentalmakeup.Moreover,naturalpredispositionsoffer
possiblebehavioraloutcomesthatderivefrominteractionswithtoilets,whicharethenguided
andpolishedbytheenvironmentalfactorspresentinthebathroom(includingparents).
Specifically,thesepredispositionsarefactorssuchasthesuitabilityoftheanalzonetoactasa

[1]

mediumofinterconnectionbetweensexualityandsomaticfunctions andtheenvironmental

makeupisacombinationofbathroomarchitecture,technologyandparentalguidance.Allthese
factors,incooperationwithsocialnormsandattitudes,areimperativeinunderstandingthe
developingattitudestowardsthebathroomasitfollowsitsowndevelopmentallane.

Thisanalysisisparticularlyfocusedonthechangingnatureofbathroom

technologyandhowitisperceivedandwelcomedbytheindividual.Whatareviewedbysome
asthenaturalmetamorphosisoftechnology,suchaselectronicfaucetsandflushers,areoften
metwithresistancefromthepublicandareslowinpenetratingourprivatebathrooms.Moreover,
therearemanyinstanceswheresuchtechnologyisabusedbypublicbathroomusersforcingthe
industrytopivotindirectionsthataremoreuserfriendly.Technologyisamultifunctional
institutioninthebathroom.Notonlyitfacilitatestheexcretionofbodilyfunctionsinarelatively
safefashion,butitcanalsoprovideacleansingspacefordisposingofthedirtoftheouterworld.
Childhoodattitudestowardsthebathroomandthefunctionsitisusedforareabarometerof
personalitytraitstobedevelopedlateroninlife.Theanalretentiveandanalrepulsive
personalitiesarearepresentationofthetwodifferentdevelopmentaloutcomesthatderivefrom
childhoodexperiencesduringpottytraining.However,itistimetoconsiderthisexplanation
underanewlight,accountingforanotherchangingvariable,thatofthebathroomitself.

Forrepresentativesoftheindustry,thenaturalshiftinbathroomtechnologyis

headedtowardstheautomatizationofprocessespreviouslyunderthecontrolofhumans.The
promiseofhandsfreeflushingandinfraredautomaticfaucetsisbeneficialtotheconservationof
ourscarceresources,ourhygieneandinsuresthelackofunpleasantsurprisesforthenextuserif
thehumanagencyfailstofollowbathroomprotocol.Consequently,theautonomousbathroomis
advantageoustoallpartiesinvolved,fromtheindividualusertosocietyasawhole.However,the
mixedresponsepresentschallengesinthewideadaptationofthistechnology.Thiscomesasno

shock,aswithmostnewtechnologiesthereisanearlyperiodwhereadaptationfromthemasses
lacks,butthesignificanceofthebathroomforthedevelopmentalpathsuggeststhatthereare
moreintrinsic,individualreasonsastowhythesestrugglesinmodernpottytrainingpersist.

Consideringautomaticbathroomsasautonomousentities,onlysemidependent

ontheuser,suggeststhattherehasbeenatransferofautonomytothebathroom.Thisautonomy
wasderivedfromtheuserthatnowhastocopewiththisloss.Thustheuserhaslostacertain
degreeofcontroltotheautomatedprocess.Suchanargumentmakesthecasethatthestruggleof
automaticbathroomsisnotonlyoneofconvenienceandtechnologicalconfusion,butonethat
relatestotheearliestinfantiledesires,onethatisdeterminedbytheinitialprocessoftoilet
trainingitself.Henceforth,theprocessofinteractingwithtechnologydependsonthelackor
presenceofanyformsofanalfixationsintheindividual.

Therearetwomainformsofanalfixationsthefirstoneistheanalretentive

personalitythatisfoundinindividualsthatarecompulsivelyseekingorderandtidiness.These
individualshaveaneedtocontroltheenvironmentaroundthemandarerespectfultowards
authority.Aschildren,analretentiveindividualswithheldtheirbowelmovementsbothasanact
ofdefianceandtopostponethepleasurethatisderivedfromdefecation.Thesecondformofanal
fixationsistheanalexpulsivepersonality,foundinindividualsthataregenerallymessy,lackself
controlandareofarebelliousnature.Duringtheanalstageofchildhood,analexpulsive
individualstreatedtheproductoftheirbowelmovementsassymbolicgifts,whichrepresent
compliancewiththeenvironment.Overall,thedifferencesbetweenthesetwofixationmodesare

quiteclear,howeveritisimportanttoexploredeeperhowthesedifferencesinfluencethe
individualsrelationshipwiththeautomatictoilet.

Thereisonemaindifferencebetweenanalretentiveandexpulsiveindividuals

relevanttothisargument,respectforauthorityandrebelliontowardsauthority.Thistensionis
bestrepresentedbytheautomaticbathroom,asaninstitutionthathasgainedauthorityoverthe
individualthroughtheacquisitionofautonomy.Inthislighttheargumentbecomesquiteclear,
thefeelingofangeranddissatisfactiontowardstheautomaticbathroomarisebecauseoftheloss
ofcontroltowardsthemachine,whichiscentraltothepersonalityofanalretentiveindividuals.
Notbeingabletoflushaswantedandneeded,flushtwiceincaseofresidueoruseasmanypaper
towelsaswantedorneeded,representthesubmissionoftheindividualtotheautomaticprocess.
Althoughanalretentiveindividualsexhibitrespectforauthority,itisimportanttoconsiderthat
theseindividualsareorderlyasawaytogainandmaintaincontrol,controlwhichisnowshifted
totheautomaticprocess.Intermsoftime,whatisanaturalshiftfortheindustryisaprocess
thatneedsmoretimetobefullydigestedbytheindividualandthemasses.However,oncethis
transferofautonomyhasbeencompletedandhasbecomewidelyaccepted,analretentive
individualswillrespectitasthenewbathroomauthorityandactaccordinglyastofollowits
protocol.

Asstated,analexpulsiveindividualsaredetachedfromtheideaoftheautomatic

bathroomduetodifferentreasonsthantheiranallyfixatedcounterparts.Theseindividuals
exhibitapersistentlyrebelliousnaturewhichmakesthemlikelytoopposeanyinstitutionor

agencythattriestoimposerestrictionsuponthem.Inthiscase,notonlyhastheautomatic
bathroomgainedtheautonomypreviouslyinthehandsoftheindividual,butitexercisesthis
autonomybyimposingrestrictionsonthebehavioroftheuser.Consequently,analexpulsive
individualswillcontinuetoopposetheautomaticbathroomasitstrivestotakeawayasmuch
controlfromtheindividualsaspossible.

Toilettrainingduringinfancyaskstheinfantmakeconcessionsofindividualautonomy
andconfirmtothedemandsofparentsandsociety.Thewaysinwhichtoilettrainingaffects
individualsthroughoutisalsoexplainedbythenotionchildhoodegocentricity.Childrenviewthe
worldasanextensionofthemselvesandtoilettrainingisinmanywaysanideologicaltension
betweenindividual,parentandsociety,whereallpartiesaretryingtoestablishtheirauthority
overoneanother.Thusegocentricityisequallyimportantinunderstandingattitudestowardsthe
automaticbathroom,asadultsthathavenotentirelyovercomechildhoodegocentricitywillhave
issuesinmakingtheconcessionsovercontrolthattheautomaticbathroomasksfor.Onthe
flipside,adultsthathaveovercomechildhoodegocentricitywillviewautomaticbathroomsina
moreholisticspectrumandgraduallyadapttothetechnology.

Itshouldnotbeforgotteninanycasethatadaptationtotechnologyisoneofthemain
issuesinhand.Notonlydoestechnologygaincontrolattheexpenseoftheindividual,italso
requiresthecreationofnewsocialnormsandinturncompliancetowardsthem.AsMary
Douglaspointedoutin
PurityandDanger
:Themorematerialthatanelaboratetechnology
imposesbetweenourselvesandthesatisfactionofourinfantiledesires,themorebusilyhas

[2]
sublimationbeenatwork. Newandmoreelaboratetechnologyrequiresanadequatesocial
responseandinturntheindividualneedstoconsciouslyadapttothenewsociallyacceptable
behavior.Suchaprocesscomeswithexplicitdifficultiesduetothemedleyoftechnological
struggle,analfixationsandtheimprintsofchildhoodegocentrism.

[1]

Freud,S.(1905).Threeessaysonthetheoryofsexuality.
Se
,
7
.

[2]

Douglas,M.(1966).ExternalBoundaries.In
Purityanddangerananalysisofconceptsofpollution

andtaboo
(pp.118119).NewYork:Praeger.