Sedentary Culture – Knowledge of Special Terminology through Art of Design

Abstract

We dare to say that everybody has already had a chance to use a chair or seat; no other object of our daily environment has had the enduring cultural significance of the ever present chair, which unconsciously can shape the physical and social dimensions of our lives. Drivers need seats, schoolchildren use stools and benches, parents buy strollers for babies, we like rocking chairs, wheelchair users suffer because of yielding foldable seats, inflatable balls are used as chairs and Thonet chairs are still unforgettable and admired. Students at Mendel University in Brno at the Department of Furniture, Design and Habitation are offered education in design, furniture production and interior design; they get information on production technologies, the historical development and creation of furniture, typology, construction and sizing of furniture as well as technologies for upholstered furniture, i.e. chairs as well. The language training is a part of their university curriculum as well.Current customers may feel pleasantly surprised finding a chair that meets their criteria. The strategy of sizing comprises the economic benefit of mass marketing with hand-made items. Anthropometric data (differing sizes of human frames) supported an argument against chairs that could be adjusted to different sizes. It is a pity that standard ergonomic literature seldom concerns “butt space”. Chair designers usually provide a space or padding between the seat and the back of pelvis; seating engineers usually widen the angle between the seat and the back. The need for butt space may be why lumber support is so popular. Inadvertedly, the forward curve creates a space for gluteus maximus and at the expense of throwing the lumber and thoraic curves of the back out of balance. What should general chair concerns be? Right-angled sitting, seat height, forward tilt seat, seat surface, butt space, midback or full back support, armrests, head support, etc.In order to examine documents covering the sedentary culture, i.e. chairs for our study purpose, we study materials focused on anatomy, ergonomics, history of arts, materials properties, technologies: specific terminology therefore comprises broad spectrum of branches and fields. Language specificities can be studied through design and this field is usually for students highly attractive. Psychological approach – I am willing to study what I like and attracts me - can efficiently be applied in language training. In addition, students are provided with literature sources in order to study further material if they wish.