theories of social practice as a lens for studying consumption science and practice, topic 3 michal...

Theories of social practice as a lens for studying consumption Science and Practice, Topic 3 Michal Sedlako

Outline of the session what is practice? theory of social practices definition, components examples of Nordic walking, driving, air conditioning trajectories of social practices trends in our modern lives social practices and sustainability

What do we mean by practice? is it training? achieving mastery requires a lot of practice

What do we mean by practice? is it realisation of theory or plan? but will this work in practice?

What do we mean by practice? is it analytical emphasis on situated activity? what is really going on? how do people go about doing what they do?

What do we mean by practice? socially regulated, typified, routinised form of bodily conduct (...) containing specific forms of knowledge, know-how, interpreting, motivation and emotion (Reckwitz) nexus of doings and sayings (Schatzki) it is the practice that matters!

Practices and consumption most practices require and entail consumption consumption in itself is not a practice but is rather a moment in every practice: shopping is an obvious example but think about the consumption implications of going out, biking, having a massage, hot- rodding a car or turning on the air conditioning

How to look at practice as doing (activity as when stuff happens; a continuous collective accomplishment; a performance) as socially situated (practices and their contexts are co-constituted) as micro-level (concrete bodily actions in specific social sites) as social (existence of practice relies on shared understanding, i.e. knowledge that is social even when carried out alone) as historical (were put in place at some point in time, are changing) as locally appropriated (in every new context, the practice need to reinvent itself) as having replaceable actors (practices do not change automatically when actors are changed) as constitutive both of larger structures (e.g. organisations, families, states, discourses) and of subjects as iterations that are somewhat stable but can change with every repetition

Components of social practices (1)materials: artefacts (and their accessibility!) bodies spaces (2) competence: practical knowledge experience general understanding theoretical knowledge (3)social meaning: subjectivities such as emotions, goals, identities roles and positions: theorists and technicians, conservatives and radicals, generalists and specialists, visionaries and followers, the professional and the amateur, insiders, regulars, tourists and strangers shared values and discourses components need to be linked to form new practices

practice as nexus of doings and sayings (and as a linkage between its components) persists in time by being carried out a practice consists of variant (and more or less typified) sequences of actions, i.e. individual doings and sayings ABCD BDC AEBC practices produce (enact) macro-categories such as organisations, families, states, discourses and that appear as stable practices produce subjects, i.e. interests, identities, motivations that also appear as stable components of practice can change through the carrying out of practice: bodily dispositions are developed, artefacts are produced...

Nordic walking as a social practice (Shove and Pantzar 2005)

Shove and Pantzar paper 1.What two different practices of walking with sticks were there before the introduction of Nordic walking? What were their components? 2.What work needed to be done by the system builders to (a) modify existing components of practices of walking with sticks, (b) develop new components of practices, (c) link old and/or new components into a new practice of Nordic walking? 3.In Finland, what social group was targeted with this new practice of Nordic walking? With what trajectory did the practice spread in Finland, and how did it change through its spreading? 4.How was Nordic walking reinvented in the UK (Germany, USA, Japan)? How was its trajectory through the society different?

Establishment of Nordic walking in Finland Two practices of walking with sticks before Nordic walking (i.e. before 2000): skiing sticks, rugged paths, hilly areas, boots, map walking stick, flat and safe area (road) fanatic athleticism, reward, stimulation, challenge frailty (the infirm, injured, old), calm, relaxed, reconvalescence practitioners: top-form skiers training for the winter season sport competence (skiing, hiking), endurance, orientation normal walking competence, sensitivity to ones failing body practitioners: people who are too frail to walk without aid 1 2 ? ? ? practitioners: ? Attempts at stabilisation of Nordic walking as a distinct practice, conflicts and resistances (20002001):

Let us think of an example

practices of car use: what are the individual practices within practices of car use? what are examples of the individual activities within these practices and their sequences (i.e. the doings and sayings)? what components do these practices include? (i.e. materials, meanings, competences) what identities do they produce? (hobbyist old-timer collector, weekend elderly driver, reckless young driver, professional taxi driver, passenger, racing navigator, reviewer for a car magazine, racing fan, garage owner...) what larger entities and effects do they (help) produce? (traffic, drivers, automobile clubs, accident statistics, relationships between the public and traffic police...)

Let us think of an example different practices of car use: touring, commuting, off- road sports, hot-rodding, collecting... history of motoring in the UK is in part a story of social class differentiation, emerging as an upper class amusement which diffused to sections of the middle class between the two world wars establishment of motoring as a dominant mode of transport in the UK was a conjunctural effect of the class composition of early owners of cars who, through the motoring organisations that they patronised, had the capacity to exercise political influence over the shape of traffic regulation and infrastructural provision

Let us think of an example

practices of air conditioning: what are the individual practices within practices of air conditioning? what components do these practices include? (i.e. materials, meanings, competences) what larger entities and effects do they (help) produce?

Trends in modern lives: Multiplication and diversification of practices

Trends in modern lives: Intensification of time use (busyness, efficiency)

Trends in modern lives: Simultaneous and multiple consumption

Sustainable consumption seen from the perspective of practice: How can we establish new practices that are sustainable? How can we win over practitioners from various social groups? How can we modify existing practices so that they become more sustainable? How can we keep existing practitioners? How can we eliminate unsustainable practices? How to prevent practitioners from practicing? Products, infrastructure, lifestyles, values, information and awareness, images and meanings, skills all of this should be looked at from the perspective of practice!

Trajectories of social practices in short, trajectory of a social practice refers to: how does a newly established social practice spread throughout the society (recruit practitioners from various social groups) and how does it transform throughout the process and, possibly, eventually disappear

Trajectory of social practices ? ?? ? ?? time 0 practitioners:... time 1 practitioners:... ?

Different social groups a social group emerges around a shared set of practices (both carried out individually and shared afterwards, such as reading, and carried out collectively, such as playing or watching football) communities of practice members of a social group share: particular problems and preferences (subjectivities) particular perceptions and norms (social meanings) particular jargon, understanding and skills (competences) particular magazines, internet fora and tools (artefacts) examples: mothers, drivers, skiers, matchbox collectors understanding the spreading of practice through society as a trajectory of a particular practice through various social groups (in the process, the practice can change too)

Back to Nordic walking Nordic walking spreading in Finland (after 2001): Nordic walking sticks, easy paths in nature, sport/walking shoes Nordic walking stick, flat (as well as hilly) surface mild fitness, health, nature enjoyment, fun non-adrenalin sport, promotion and preservation of health and wellbeing practitioners: hobby athletes, hiking enthusiasts special Nordic walking technique, light endurance practitioners: 40+ people who want to preserve their health FI UK practitioners: ? Nordic walking in the process of stabilisation in the UK (around 2004): practitioners: families, people wanting to do something for their health while enjoying nature, just about anybody

Air conditioning: the starting puzzle between 1962 and 1992, the percentage of American homes with air-conditioning grew from 12% to 64% how did it happen? how come that people (either those who already have it or the % of homes) dont give up air conditioning, i.e. there is lack of backward movement? how can we explain the trajectory of AC?

Explanation 1: the meaning of practice or technology was redefined over time and thus became acceptable for larger parts of the population fashionable objects of desire rational or functional reasons Pantzars (1997) explanation of symbolic trajectories of the telephone, computer, car and TV routinisation (no reason needed at all) even when the design of the technology is stable, their social meaning is changing (i.e. their social positioning, messages they embody and detail of differentiation)

resistance: air conditioning causes colds air conditioning is for the weak and indolent air conditioning in Japan: modernity distinctively Western lifestyle air conditioning in US: health cleanliness family togetherness

Explanation 2: practitioners adapt (appropriate) the practice so it better fits the meanings, materials and competences they are used to users they integrate the technology (product, artefact) into their practices AND adapt their practices to the new technology: appropriation, domestication example: people consequently opened and closed windows in ways that made no thermo-dynamic sense (to the engineers who designed AC) but that were consistent with what they had always done emergent practice seeks high compatibility with previous meanings and competences of social groups (see also the Nordic walking example) example: introduction of London congestion charge (Shove & Walker 2010): practices are always unstable, dynamic and emergent (prediction is difficult) example: technology is designed for extreme events (e.g. oven is big enough to hold turkey, happens once a year) but over time previously extreme situations become normal and new extremes are set, thus new capacity is required: normalisation

Explanation 3: the practice becomes integrated (practically and symbolically interdependent) with other apparently isolated practices (into bundles of practices) example of such interdependence is lifestyle: living in a Western country in an area with hot climate large house substantial income number of cars AND air conditioning go together another example is how past consumption choices and investments enable and constrain future possibilities (path dependence, also critical consumption choices) then you cannot really go back to the state of not having an AC

Explanation 4: the practice co-evolves with its contextual socio-technical system... when the system becomes dominant (landscape) the practice will too air-conditioned buildings do not need overhanging eaves or verandas by omitting these elements American designers were able to offset the additional cost of cooling by AC but without verandas etc. new houses required AC to make them comfortable result: technology is built into the architecture of the home prac tice A M M S S C C socio-technical system (infrastructure, regulations...) prac tice A M M S S C C socio-technical system (infrastructure, regulations...) prac tice A M M S S C C socio-technical system (infrastructure, regulations...)

Another example: showering (Shove & Walker 2010) artefacts: tiles, screens, curtains, shower design, soap, shower gels, loofah prac tice A A M M S S C C socio-technical system (infrastructure, regulations...) socio-technical system (infrastructure, regulations...) STS: reliable supplies of water and electricity, development in plumbing, sanitation regulations, dedicated space in house design, social norms of cleanliness and hygiene meanings: from morality and propriety to freshness, invigoration and relaxation integration with other practices into bundles: morning ritual, hygiene practices how often (how much, by how many people) a given practice is going to be carried out how a practice is going the be carried out (the active role of practitioners) what impact on sustainability will the given practice have

Explanation 5: different practices conflict/compete in their time and space demands for individual bodies, compete for practitioners Rpke 2009: practices search their bodies (i.e. try to recruit practitioners) and thus they compete for practitioners increasing busyness of daily life and intensity of time use what are the spatial-temporal demands of individual social practices?

Preparation of short presentations (for tomorrow) preparation for seminar papers (do it in couples) tasks: 1.choose an intervention that: (i) aims to foster sustainable consumption, (ii) was already introduced somewhere, or is a possibility, (iii) examples: a policy measure, newly developed technology, advertisement, training... 2.think of a social practice that falls under our definition of consumption and that is affected by the intervention; try to describe the social practice (see pt. 1 in seminar papers) 3.think of the possible avenues of explanation presentation should be about 67 minutes long

Seminar papers deadline for electronic submission: 21 May 2014 [email protected] (I will confirm I received the e-mail, otherwise please resend it) [email protected] length: 3.500 words authors: 2 persons central theme: Making X-ing more sustainable, or Stopping unsustainable X-ing, or Introducing sustainable X-ing,... When we look at consumption as social practice(s), how can we explain real effects or predict potential effects of a specific intervention (a policy measure, technology, advertisement...) that aims to foster sustainable consumption? How does the intervention affect (or fail to affect) the form and trajectory of given social practice(s)?

How to construct your seminar papers 1.Description of the social practice that you will analyse and its (un)sustainability: (A) What is the practice that is the object of your analysis? What are its components? (Go for a thick description, choose components that you find relevant, try to provide some historical background.) (B) What are the sustainability implications of the practice, what is the problem? (Try using some quantitative data in support of your argument.) 2.Description of the intervention (a policy measure, technology, advertisement...) that you will analyse: When was it introduced, by whom, with what purpose? Who was exposed, at what scale was the intervention introduced? 3.Description of the effect of the intervention on the practice and its (un)sustainability: (A) How does the intervention affect the practice? Does it modify the practice e.g. does it change its components (meanings, materials, competences)? Or is perhaps the goal of the intervention to create new practices or prevent some existing practices? How does it affect the potential trajectory of practices? (Choose and combine explanations and apply them to your particular case.) (B) What are the sustainability effects of the new practices, modified practices or prevented practices? How successful was the intervention in achieving sustainability? (Try using some quantitative data in support of your argument.) 4.Summary assessment of the intervention with SWOT analysis: What are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the intervention when it is applied on a particular social practice?

Some guiding questions to help hypothesise the effects of intervention How might the changes introduced by the intervention be appropriated by practitioners? How might the practitioners adapt the new materials or meanings to innovative uses? How does the change in practices cause further change in socio-technical systems? What social groups are most compatible with newly established practice? Can the members of that social group use their existing competences? If not, how do they acquire new competences? Can the members of that social group use available materials? If not, and the practice requires new materials, are they accessible? How is the new meaning generated? With whose help, and through what channels is it disseminated? How are the new meanings more acceptable to the members of the social group (than the old ones)? How will the change in practice travel from one group to the next? How will the practice change in the process of its spreading? How well does the change in practice fit with other, related practices carried out by the practitioners? (e.g. as part of lifestyles) What practices does the change in practice compete with both in time and in space?

theories of social practice as a lens for studying consumption science and practice, topic 3 michal...

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