Practice theory as a package of theory, method and vocabulary : affordances and limitations

In this article, I argue that practice theory should be mainly conceived as a theoretical orientation towards the study of the social where the methodological element remains central. Practice theory, therefore, should be conceived as the pragmatic effort to re-specify the study and re-presentation of social phenomena in terms of networks, assemblages and textures of mediated practices. In arguing for the value of practice theory as an inseparable package of theory, method and vocabulary, I articulate four strategies that can be used to conduct practice-based studies. These are the analysis of the concerted accomplishment of orderly scenes of action; the examination of how scenes of action have been historical constituted; the study of the development and disappearance of individual practices; and the inquiry into the co-evolution, conflict and interference of two or more practices. I argue that these strategies, which build on the different traditions, which fall under the umbrella term of practice-based approaches, provide different affordances and allow practice theory to present a view of the social that is richer, thicker and more convincing than that of competing paradigms. I conclude by noting that several open issues still stand in the way of the development of practice theory as a package of theory, method and vocabulary. These should constitute the tropic of future research and debate

Is small the only beautiful? Making sense of 'large phenomena' from a practise-based perspective

In this chapter I discuss how a practice-based sensitivity can be used to address big issues and ‘large scale’ (social) phenomena. This is of importance because practice-based sensitivities are often pigeonholed as part of micro-sociology and therefore deemed unsuitable to deal with some of the big issues of our time. The chapter starts by contrasting the position of practice-based approaches vis-à-vis the idea of macro phenomena, levels of reality and localism. I then examine three ways in which practice oriented scholars have addressed large phenomena namely studying connections in action, examining the global within the local and engaging with scalography, the practice of assembling large scale phenomena. For each approach I discuss the main affordances and limitations. I conclude that practice theory helps us to reconsider what counts as large scale phenomena and contributes to doing away with some traditional dichotomies in social science, for example the presumed difference between micro and macro, local and global and the misplaced idea that large scale phenomena are better understood from a distance

Recovering materiality in institutional work : prizes as an assemblage of human and material entities

In this article we utilize a (posthumanist) practice theory orientation to foreground the neglected role of material elements (e.g., objects and spaces) in institutional work. The paper builds on the results of an empirical study of two prizes in the Italian public sector for best practices in public administration and healthcare respectively. Our discussion centres on the critical role played by materiality in the legitimizing work performed by the two prizes. More specifically, we show that humans and material elements share the institutional work of mimicry, theorizing, educating, and reconfiguring normative networks. The article expands and enriches the notion of institutional work by foregrounding its inherent heterogeneous nature. It also shows the capacity of post-humanist and practice oriented approaches to shed new light on fundamental questions regarding the nature of situated action and distributed effort in institutional analysis

Experiencias en la formación de un cuerpo académico multidisciplinar en el área de las Bellas Artes

Este texto presenta las experiencias de éxito en la planeación y formación del cuerpo académico UCOL-CA92: Arte y Sociedad. Agrupación académica multidisciplinar que pretende definir procesos pedagógicos para que exista un diálogo didáctico e incluyente entre las artes en favor de la formación integral de los alumnos del nivel pregrado del Instituto Universitario de Bellas Artes de la Universidad de Colima. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo aportar ideas y experiencias a investigadores interesados en constituir cuerpos académicos multidisciplinares, en el área de las artes, con interés en la investigación interdisciplinar al tiempo que propone proyectos que involucran a través de la vinculación, al estado, la universidad y las empresas privadas.This text presents the experiences of success in the planning and formation of the academic body UCOL-CA92: Art and Society. Multidisciplinary academic grouping that intends to define pedagogical processes so that there is a didactic and inclusive dialogue between the arts in favor of the integral formation of the students of the undergraduate level of the University Institute of Fine Arts of the University of Colima. This work aims to contribute ideas and experiences to researchers interested in forming multidisciplinary academic bodies, in the area of the arts, with interest in interdisciplinary research while proposing projects that involve through linking, the state, university and Private companies

Moral judgements as organizational accomplishments : insights from a focused ethnography in the English healthcare sector

In this chapter, we aim to deepen our understanding of judgments in organizations. Whilst previous studies have underscored the situated nature of individual judgments exercised by e.g. leaders or managers, our research focuses on how judgments emerge as organizational responses to recurrently emerging moral dilemmas. Accordingly, we study a setting—decision practices in the English healthcare sector—where moral puzzles (to fund or not to fund healthcare for apparently atypical patients) demand ongoing attention and systemic handling. We conducted (and present findings of) a focused ethnography of the ways expert decision-making panels in three health authorities confronted, engaged, and coped with morally perplexed situations. The moral perplexity there lay in that panels were called upon to prudently and demonstrably determine whether a particular patient deserved or not exceptional investment; and do so by taking into consideration the healthcare needs and rights of all patients under the same health system. By adopting a practice perspective (Schatzki, 2002), we develop an analytical account of the effortful accomplishments (sociomaterial activities or intertwined “projects” in practice theory terms), which enabled the recurrent collective exercise of judgments in accordance with publicly recognizable moral expectations—namely notions of fairness. Our main contribution lies in conceptualizing the work of rendering moral judgments as organized pursuits possible and meaningful and hence in complementing current “ecological understandings” of individual judgment-making in organizations

Integrating knowledge in the face of epistemic uncertainty : dialogically drawing distinctions

In this article, we contribute to a processual understanding of knowledge integration in interdisciplinary collaboration by foregrounding the role of dialogue in dealing with epistemic uncertainty. Drawing on an ethnographic study of collaboration among scientists involved in developing a highly novel bioreactor, we suggest that knowledge integration is not a homogeneous process but requires switching between different knowledge integration practices over time. This is particularly notable in the case of ‘epistemic breakdowns’ – deeply unsettling events where hitherto-held understandings of the nature of problems appear unworkable. In such cases, it is not sufficient to deal solely with coordination issues; collaborators need to find ways to address generative knowledge integration processes and to venture, collectively, into the unknown. We demonstrate how this generative quest of knowledge integration is achieved through a dialogical process of drawing and testing new distinctions that allows actors to gradually handle the epistemic uncertainty they face

Reflexivity in practice : tools and conditions for developing organizational authorship

In this article, we build on the results of a participatory action research project in healthcare to discuss a number of methods that can strengthen the link between reflexive work and authoring in organizational contexts. We argue that, from an organizational point of view, the challenge is to devise new ways to configure (and consider) people as the authors of their work. This means assuming responsibility for, and constructively contributing to, the goals of the organizations to which they belong. Combining insights from theoretical reflection and experience from the field, the article discusses the tools, process and material conditions for fostering practical reflexivity and organizational authorship. We conclude that much is to be gained if we distinguish between authorship and authoring. Authorship is the general process whereby managers and organizational members contribute to the reproduction of organizational realities. Authoring is constituted by the special circumstances whereby authorship is brought to critical consciousness and becomes open to deliberate reorientation

Affective Politics and Technology Buy-In: A Framework of Social, Political, and Fantasmatic Logics

We propose a socially informed explanation of technology framing by examining technology “buy-in”—actors’ relative susceptibility to such framing. We draw on the field of critical social theory to introduce the “Logics,” a new framework to the IS discipline that reveals a performative relationship between collective framing, power, and affect. The Logics enable us to study buy-in by revealing the differing degrees of affective self-identification that underpin and color social practices, showing their inherently political nature. We exemplify the affective as well as social politics of buy-in with an account of Unity 3D, a market-leading game engine that underwent a major repositioning from “fringe” to “mainstream” markets, and discuss four poles of affective positioning with which to conceptualize technology buy-in. We conclude by highlighting the consequent need for greater political and ethical awareness about the framing of IS and by proposing a framework for conceptualizing actors’ orientations toward and thus possible buy-in or resistance to technology framing

A soft piezoelectric elastomer with enhanced piezoelastic response

This work aims to study, develop, and validate a soft piezo-polymer with enhanced piezo-elastic response and easy castable in a free shape through a single and easy process. The work identified a novel formulation for soft piezopolymers based on ambient temperature polymerizable silicone rubber, easily fabricable in 3D printed plastic moulds. Combining polymerizable silicone with a barium titanate (BaTiO3) ceramic powder and defining a detailed fabrication procedure of casting, curing and high voltage poling, we defined how to obtain a promising soft piezoelectric elastomer for countless sensing applications. This study includes information about the mould design used to realize, cure and polarize cylindric elastomeric specimens. This piezopolymer stands out for its flexibility, softness, easy fabrication at ambient temperature and obtainability in multiple shapes and bulky 3D geometries. Finally, we investigated different configurations of the piezopolymer formulation analysing the powder concentration and voltage polarization effects over the mechanical, piezoelectric and morphological characteristics. The specimens exhibit a high induced polarization d33 with values up to 22.5 pC N−1 , comparable with poled β-phase polyvinylidene difluoride. We finally underlined limits encountered in the most extreme configurations

Communities of practice and situated learning in healthcare

In this chapter we examine the origins, nature and practical implications of the idea of ‘community of practice’. We argue that the concept has been used both to illuminate the challenges of creating a ‘learning culture’ in healthcare and to establish initiatives promote knowledge transfer and sharing. After clarifying some of the key concepts under discussion, in the chapter we illustrate the general features of this broad family of interventions, discuss their characteristics and summarise their key success factors. We also show how the ideas of community of practice and situated learning have been applied in diverse ways by healthcare organizations and funders, how theses ways of knowing and learning have been inserted into the established institutional order, and the mixed, but sometimes promising, outcomes which have flowed from them