consumption and theories of practice
TRANSCRIPT
Consumption and Theories of Practice
Alan Warde | Journal of Consumer Culture, 2005
About the Author
BA – University of Cambridge (UK)
MA – University of Durham (UK)
PhD – University of Leeds (UK)
Presently he teaches sociology at the
University of Manchester (UK)
Areas of Expertise:
Sociology of Consumption;
Food;
Theories of Practice;
Sociology of Culture;
Sustainable Consumption.
Word Cloud out of over 7,300 words on
the article
Theory of
Practice???
Was ist das?
PORTUGUÊS
Prática: ação; execução;
exercício; capacidade
advinda da experiência;
hábito
Praticar: fazer; realizar;
exercitar-se; exercer (uma
profissão)
Source: Houaiss Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa
DEUTSCH
Praktikum: estágio
Praktizieren: exercer a
medicina
Praxis: prática; consultório
médico; escritório de
advocacia
Praktisch: prática
Source: Langenscheidts Universal-Wörterbuch
Source: The Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus
ENGLISH
Practice:
a) habitual action or
performance;
b) a habit or custom;
c) a repeated exercise in
an activity requiring the
develpoment of skill
Praxis: accepted practice
or custom
Social theorists agree that there is no such thing as a coherent, unified
‘practice theory’, only a body of highly diverse writings by thinkers who adopt a
loosely defined ‘practice approach’. Theodor Schatzki (2001) distinguishes four main
types of practice theorists:
Philosophers (such as Wittgenstein; Dreyfus; Taylor);
Social theorists (Bourdieu; Giddens);
Cultural theorists (Foucault; Lyotard);
Theorists of science and technology (Latour; Rouse; Pickering).
It is also possible to distinguish two ‘waves’ or generations of practice theorists.
Whilst the first generation, led by some of the foremost theorists of the twentieth
century (e.g. Bourdieu 1977; de Certeau 1984; Foucault 1979; Giddens 1979, 1984)
laid the foundations of what we now regard as practice theory, the second
generation is currently testing those foundations and building new extensions to the
theoretical edifice (Ortner 1984; 2006, Schatzki 1996; Schatzki et al 2001; Reckwitz
2002; Warde 2005).
Source: http://johnpostill.com/2008/10/30/what-is-practice-theory/ (retrieved on 20th May, 2012)
Theory of Practice
Theory of Practice
Pierre Felix Burdieu (1930 – 2002);
French sociologist, anthropologist and
philosofer;
His work can be seen as sociology of
culture or, as he labelled it, a Theory of
Practice.
According to Alan Warde, “there is now a huge corpus
of work on consumption, but it still lacks theoretical
consolidation”.
His modest purpose consist of showing that application
of some rudimentary concepts and propositions derived
from a rather fragmentary body of theory provides new
insights into how consumption is organized and how it
might best be analysed.
Introduction
Dispersed
It appears in many
sectors of social life,
examples being
describing, following
rules, explaining and
imagining.
Integrative
They are the more
complex practices found
in and constitutive of
particular domains of
social life. Examples
include farming practices,
cooking practices and
business practices.
Types of Practices
Given their promise, it is strange that theories of
practice have scarcely been applied systematically to
the area of consumption.
Two prominent practice theorists (Giddens and Burdieu)
have made contributions, though neither seem
adequate.
Implications for the
Analysis of Consumption
As currently used the term ‘consumption’ is a syncretic concept,
displaying a chronic ambivalence between two contrasting senses,
of purchase and of using-up, both of which are equally inscribed in
everyday language and scholarly analysis.
I understand consumption as a process whereby agents engage in
appropriation and appreciation, wheter for utilitarian, expressive or
contemplative purposes, services, performances, information or
ambience, wheter purchased or not, over which the agent has some
degree of discretion.
In this view, consumption is not itself a practice but is, rather, a
moment in almost every practice.
Consumption and
Practices
The multiplication of enthusiasms and interests is one of
the marvels of our era;
This increase is attributable in part to the multiplication
and diversification of practices;
Explicit examination of the interconnections between
changes in practice and demand for commodities
reveals a tangled web of forces.
The Multiplicity of
Practices
Demand will often be generated indirectly, as when new tools or techniques
require complementary products for their effective adoption.
The Multiplicity of
Practices
Changes in practice
by individuals
It can be reflected into consumption
pratices and patterns
Fast Cars It begs for motorways
Hot Rods It begs for drag strips
Wish to drive off
normal roadsIt begs for sports utility vehicles
From the Theory of Practice standpoint, consumption
occurs within and for the sake of practice of individuals;
Consumed items are put on service according to
particular practices engaged by individuals and it also
evolves according to the multiplicity of social roles
played by the so called practioners (or consumers);
There is also an interconnection between an individual
consumption and his sense of internal well-being;
To Sum Up
Consumption is often a form of communication (but it cannot be
seen only on such terms);
Attention to practices also makes good sense of the existence of
both internal and extrinsic rewards from conduct. That is,
consumption may also reflects on oneself degree of self-esteem;
There are critics arguing that incremental increase in material
possessions may add almost nothing in terms of level of sense of
well-being or degree of happines;
Nevertheless, people keep on consuming and it does not seem that
they feel any sort of loss on well-being.
To Sum Up
Vielen Dank!
Luiz Valério de Paula Trindade | 16.06.2012