{"id":{"repo_id":"york","oai_identifier":"oai:yorkspace.library.yorku.ca:10315/42175"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/york/oai:yorkspace.library.yorku.ca:10315/42175","repository":{"repo_id":"york","name":"York University","base_url":"https://yorkspace.library.yorku.ca/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Exploring Selfhood in an Era of Computational Optimization","abstract":"This thesis critiques “the self-optimization ideal,” which describes the social and cultural ideal of relentless self-improvement. The self-optimization ideal encompasses predominant beauty, bodily and lifestyle ideals that individuals, under neoliberal governmentality, are incentivized to strive for. Promoted and dispersed via everyday technologies, the subtle enforcement of the self-optimization ideal often goes unnoticed. My research aims to bring these things to the fore, asking: How can design unsettle the ideal of computational self-optimization upheld by neoliberalism? And, where does self-optimization begin to negatively impact perceptions of the self? Through critical design praxis, involving the construction of a parodic athleisure brand and product, I begin to answer these questions. Informed by feminist theory, as well as a historical analysis of the production, consumption and mediation of athleisure clothing, my research works to problematize and encourage critical thought around the self-optimization ideal, as well as the everyday technologies that promote it.","abstract_html":"This thesis critiques “the self-optimization ideal,” which describes the social and cultural ideal of relentless self-improvement. The self-optimization ideal encompasses predominant beauty, bodily and lifestyle ideals that individuals, under neoliberal governmentality, are incentivized to strive for. Promoted and dispersed via everyday technologies, the subtle enforcement of the self-optimization ideal often goes unnoticed. My research aims to bring these things to the fore, asking: How can design unsettle the ideal of computational self-optimization upheld by neoliberalism? And, where does self-optimization begin to negatively impact perceptions of the self? Through critical design praxis, involving the construction of a parodic athleisure brand and product, I begin to answer these questions. Informed by feminist theory, as well as a historical analysis of the production, consumption and mediation of athleisure clothing, my research works to problematize and encourage critical thought around the self-optimization ideal, as well as the everyday technologies that promote it.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hodgson, Emma Helena"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Schaffzin, Gabi"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-07-18","date_published":"2024-07-18","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:33:38Z","subjects":["Design","Women's studies"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10315/42175","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Schaffzin, Gabi"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hodgson, Emma Helena"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2024-07-18T21:24:47Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-07-18T21:24:47Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2024-07-18"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Design","Women's studies"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. 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And, where does self-optimization begin to negatively impact perceptions of the self? Through critical design praxis, involving the construction of a parodic athleisure brand and product, I begin to answer these questions. Informed by feminist theory, as well as a historical analysis of the production, consumption and mediation of athleisure clothing, my research works to problematize and encourage critical thought around the self-optimization ideal, as well as the everyday technologies that promote it."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Exploring Selfhood in an Era of Computational Optimization"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Schaffzin, Gabi"],"dc:creator":["Hodgson, Emma Helena"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2024-07-18T21:24:47Z"],"dc:date.available":["2024-07-18T21:24:47Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2024-07-18"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis critiques “the self-optimization ideal,” which describes the social and cultural ideal of relentless self-improvement. The self-optimization ideal encompasses predominant beauty, bodily and lifestyle ideals that individuals, under neoliberal governmentality, are incentivized to strive for. Promoted and dispersed via everyday technologies, the subtle enforcement of the self-optimization ideal often goes unnoticed. My research aims to bring these things to the fore, asking: How can design unsettle the ideal of computational self-optimization upheld by neoliberalism? And, where does self-optimization begin to negatively impact perceptions of the self? Through critical design praxis, involving the construction of a parodic athleisure brand and product, I begin to answer these questions. Informed by feminist theory, as well as a historical analysis of the production, consumption and mediation of athleisure clothing, my research works to problematize and encourage critical thought around the self-optimization ideal, as well as the everyday technologies that promote it."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10315/42175"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests."],"dc:subject":["Design","Women's studies"],"dc:title":["Exploring Selfhood in an Era of Computational Optimization"],"dc:type":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:33:38Z"}