Does Hartmut Rosa’s concept of resonance help to define criteria for successful communication in virtual and hybrid settings?
Hans Gärtner, Radical-Inclusion
Enabling Resonance
I am aware that I am now treading on thin ice: Applying the concept of resonance that Hartmut Rosa describes as a “sociology for a world relationship” to hybrid or virtual events that are often quite mundane. However, looking at some aspects of successful communication in hybrid or virtual encounters his work came to my mind.
I believe, that the characteristics of Rosa’s resonance concept primarily define the goal we strive for when designing digital or hybrid communication formats. Resonance should happen and be experienced. Thus, all aspects involved in such an encounter, i.e. the objects (such as technology, logistics, locations) as well as the subjects (such as participants, other stakeholders) need to be considered. Very many different parameters can play a role here and I, as designer, cannot control all of them and – according to Rosa’s model of “uncontrollability” – I should not even aim for this. Nevertheless, I believe it is helpful to be aware of these aspects and to understand them. Hartmut Rosa defines four characteristics that, when fulfilled, enable a resonance relationship.
Intrinsic Interest
My counterpart (whether object or subject) touches me, moves me “I let myself be called upon“. In digital communication, technology can also constitute such a counterpart. Technology is not only a means to an end. The location in which I find myself and participate in a communication can just as well be a “player” as can the subjects (persons) with whom I interact. The design requirements here are thorough choice of technology and training participants in its effective use. In hybrid events, the interaction among all participants must be ensured, regardless of the channel used and the location from which they participate.
Self-Efficacy
I myself have the feeling of leaving a trace in the interaction. In other words, I do not just passively take something in, but make an impact myself. As designer, it is important to ensure that interaction can take place by means of technology, logistics and moderation: there has to be a constant switch of addressing on-site participants and virtual participants, and the use of different communication formats has to be ensured according to individual communication preferences (written, oral, dialogue in a small circle, plenary setting, different forms of expressing thoughts).
Transformation
Through interaction, something changes in me – and possibly also in my counterpart, and a new way of looking at a problem or topic emerges. Whether this transformation happens is of course up to the individual participants. For designers of communication situations, it is important to provide spaces in which such things can happen. The emergence and extent of transformations are influenced by the selection and diversity of topics and participants, the introduction of controversial points of view and the flow of the event.
Moments of Uncontrollability
We cannot control everything. My counterpart always has to show a certain degree of “stubbornness or obstinacy”. The counterpart continues to be different and I still have to be able to discover something new. For designers, this means: taking risks, being open to failure (resonance can also arise from this!), allowing experiments for meeting spaces, for technology and for formats.
For me, “resonance” is a good meta – checklist to examine whether my communication design fulfils these criteria.