User Strategies for Prolonging Product Lifetimes: A New Starting Point for Circular Conceptual Design:A New Starting Point for Circular Conceptual Design

Product life extension is recognized as an important tool for creating more sustainable production and consumption patterns; yet, there is a lack of studies with comprehensive insights into how consumers interact with products throughout the product’s life span, or knowledge about the strategies consumers apply to change their behaviors and avoid premature disposal. The purpose of this study is to explore the motives and strategies users apply that positively affect product lifetimes, which provides much-needed input on the consumer’s perspective in the circular economy. The study applies a qualitative ethnographic research methodology on 26 households, in which we investigated how differently motivated users engaged with products in their homes; how they approached, developed, and modified products to fit personal needs, and, eventually, end up prolonging product lifetimes. The study contributes a new perspective on user research in the circular economy and suggests a new paradigm for circular conceptual design. Specifically, the study shows how existing user strategies for product longevity can be identified and used as a starting point for designing products and services that prolong product lifetimes

Havregrød, boorash, wannabe me - om strittende sproglig praksis i et velfriseret sprogcurriculum

Denne artikel handler om sproglig praksis og sprogundervisning. Artiklen går tæt på Abdullahi, en otteårig dreng med somalisk baggrund, og følger ham på tværs af skolens sprogundervisning i dansk, engelsk og somali. Skolens velfriserede sprogcurriculum, hvor navngivne sprog anvises afgrænsede pladser, står i skarp kontrast til Abdullahis strittende sproglige praksis, der går på tværs af og udfordrer de sproglige grænser i skolens sprogcurriculum. Artiklens analyser er baseret på en lingvistisk etnografisk undersøgelse af sproglig praksis i og omkring modersmålsundervisning i folkeskolen. Med afsæt i sociolingvistiske analyser redegøres der i artiklen for to former for strittende sproglige praksis: dels at gøre engelsk relevant i somalitimerne, dels anvendelse af stiliserede indlærerstemmer. På baggrund af analyserne argumenteres der for en gentænkning af det sprogpædagogiske udfoldelsesrum, som børn tilbydes i skolens sprogundervisning