Assemblage

Definition

An assemblage is a configuration of heterogeneous elements that function together as a provisional whole while maintaining their autonomy and potential for reconfiguration. Unlike fixed structures or systems, assemblages exist in flux—constantly being made, unmade, and remade through processes of connection and disconnection.

Liminal Modality

Assemblages operate precisely at threshold zones where:

Unity ↔ Multiplicity: Functioning as wholes without losing component distinctness
Stability ↔ Flux: Maintaining coherence while undergoing continuous change
Human ↔ Nonhuman: Blurring boundaries between types of actors and materials
Material ↔ Expressive: Integrating physical components with symbolic/semiotic elements

These boundary-crossing properties make assemblages inherently liminal entities.

Key Attributes

⟐ Relations of Exteriority

Components maintain independence while participating in larger systems. Unlike “relations of interiority” where parts derive identity from the whole, assemblage components can detach and function in other contexts.

“A relation of exteriority means that the properties of component parts can never explain the relations which constitute the whole.” — DeLanda

⌥ Heterogeneity

Combines diverse elements across ontological categories:

Material bodies
Technologies
Signs and symbols
Practices and processes
Concepts and affects

⊕ Emergent Properties

Creates capacities beyond what individual components possess alone. These emergent properties cannot be reduced to component attributes but arise from specific arrangements and interactions.

↻ Processual Nature

Assemblages are less about fixed states and more about ongoing processes:

Territorialization: Processes that stabilize and define boundaries
Deterritorialization: Forces that destabilize and open new possibilities
Reterritorialization: Reconfiguration into new arrangements

Theoretical Framework

Axes of Analysis

Assemblages operate along two primary axes:

Material-Expressive Axis
The interplay between:
- Material components: Physical bodies, technologies, resources
- Expressive components: Symbols, language, affect, aesthetic qualities
Territorialization-Deterritorialization Axis
The tension between:
- Territorializing processes: Stabilize identity, increase homogeneity
- Deterritorializing processes: Destabilize identity, increase heterogeneity

Scales of Assemblage

Assemblages function across multiple scales, with larger assemblages composed of smaller ones:

Micro-assemblages: Bodies, devices, local interactions
Meso-assemblages: Organizations, communities, ecosystems
Macro-assemblages: Cities, states, global networks
Cosmic assemblages: Planetary systems, interstellar phenomena

Each scale exhibits emergent properties not reducible to component assemblages.

Component Autonomy

Unlike systems theory, assemblage theory emphasizes that:

Components precede the assemblage temporally
Components can exist outside the assemblage
Components retain capacities independent of the assemblage
Components can participate in multiple assemblages simultaneously

Assemblage Dynamics

Formation Processes

How assemblages come together:

Catalytic Events
Triggering circumstances that initiate assembly:
- Crisis responses
- Resource opportunities
- Technological innovations
- Cultural convergences
Connective Logics
Principles guiding what connects to what:
- Functional compatibility
- Symbolic resonance
- Spatial proximity
- Temporal synchronicity
Stabilizing Mechanisms
Forces that maintain assemblage coherence:
- Material infrastructure
- Regulatory frameworks
- Narrative integration
- Habitual practices

Transformation Pathways

How assemblages change over time:

Incremental Adaptation
Gradual modifications that preserve core identity:
- Component substitution
- Relationship adjustments
- Boundary maintenance
- Scalar shifts
Phase Transitions
Dramatic reconfigurations that fundamentally alter assemblage identity:
- Threshold effects
- Cascading changes
- Categorical shifts
- Emergent properties
Dissolution Patterns
Ways assemblages come apart:
- Component extraction
- Relationship severing
- Boundary collapse
- Function cessation

Analytical Applications

Examining social formations without reducing them to structures, systems, or individual actors:

Communities as fluid arrangements rather than fixed entities
Organizations as temporary stabilizations of diverse flows
Social movements as emergent assemblages

Technological Studies

Understanding technologies as socio-material assemblages:

Digital platforms as assemblages of code, users, practices, and meanings
Infrastructure as heterogeneous networks with emergent properties
Human-machine interactions as co-constitutive assemblages

Environmental Thinking

Reconceptualizing ecological relationships:

Ecosystems as open assemblages rather than closed systems
Environmental issues as emerging from complex assemblage interactions
Climate as a planetary assemblage with multiple component scales

Cultural Analysis

Approaching cultural phenomena as assemblages:

Artistic works as material-expressive assemblages
Cultural identities as provisional, heterogeneous arrangements
Media ecologies as interconnected, evolving assemblages

Assemblages and Power

Assemblages reshape how we understand power relations:

Distributed Agency

Power emerges from arrangements rather than residing in individual actors:

No single component controls the assemblage
Agency distributes across human and non-human elements
Influence operates through connection rather than domination

Assemblage Capacities

Arrangements enable or constrain different types of action:

Territorialization processes may limit possible configurations
Material components create affordances and resistances
Expressive elements shape what is thinkable or desirable

Power Geometries

Uneven distributions within and between assemblages:

Some components are more pivotal than others
Certain positions enable greater connectivity
Assemblage boundaries may include or exclude

Assemblage Ethics

Ethical implications of assemblage thinking:

Responsibility in Complexity

Navigating ethical issues when agency is distributed:

Moving beyond individual blame/credit models
Recognizing emergent harms and benefits
Developing ethical frameworks for complex causality

Care for Assemblages

Ethical orientations toward provisional wholes:

Maintaining beneficial assemblages
Supporting healthy transformation
Facilitating constructive deterritorialization

Justice Across Components

Considering fairness in heterogeneous arrangements:

Human and non-human stakeholders
Material and expressive dimensions
Different temporal and spatial scales

Actor-Network Theory: Complementary approach to understanding heterogeneous networks
Rhizome: Non-hierarchical connectivity model related to assemblage thinking
Deterritorialization: Process by which assemblages transform and reconfigure
The Fold: Deleuzian concept of reality’s continual folding and unfolding
Liminality: Threshold states that often characterize assemblage transformations
Spectrum of Agency: Framework for understanding different forms of agency within assemblages