Feldt & Høgel/Reframing Authority, 1. Reframing Authority

Authority has been a key topic in many studies of history, society, and literature. Authority suggests an uneven relation of influence, the power to motivate and gain obedience, or an ascribed prestige, recognition, or status. Yet, studies of authority have rarely taken seriously into account the props, paraphernalia and other material media through which authority is upheld, changed, or overthrown. This chapter offers a theoretical introduction to the key concepts of the book - authority, materiality and media – and discusses the theoretical intersections between these concepts which underpin the book’s basic argument that forms of mediation and materiality play key roles in any constitution, contestation, or transformation of authority. We argue that new understandings of authority can be acquired by focusing on the role of materiality and media, as well as on the changing roles of authority historically and cross-culturally. This chapter also offers a presentation of the sections of the book and of the contributions.